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La Palma, historically known as San Miguel de La Palma, is the most north-westerly island of the Canary Islands, Spain. La Palma has an area of 708 km², making it the fifth largest of the eight main islands of the archipelago. Like the others, it is a volcanic ocean island located on the African Plate. La Palma is currently, along with Tenerife, the most volcanically active of the Canary Islands. The main geographic feature of the northern part of La Palma is the Caldera de Taburiente, measuring 9 km wide and 1,500 m deep. It is surrounded by a circular range of mountains reaching 1,600 m to 2,400 m in height. Erosion has partially uncovered the seamount in the caldera. The only ravine leading into the interior of the caldera is the deep Barranco de las Angustias ('Ravine of Anxiety'). The exterior of the caldera is cut by many gorges which run from 2,000 m above sea level down to the sea. South of the Caldera de Taburiente runs the ridge of Cumbre Nueva ('New Summit'). Yet further south runs the Cumbre Vieja ('Old Summit', which despite its name is geologically newer than Cumbre Nueva), a volcanic ridge formed by numerous volcanic vents built of lava and scoria, and makes up the southern part of La Palma. Geology and tectonics The Canary Islands were formed as seamounts through submarine volcanic activity, and as volcanic activity continued, they emerged above the sea level. La Palma rises almost 7 km above the sea floor of the Atlantic Ocean; most of its volcanic structure is located underwater, its base being located almost 4,000 m below sea level, and its highest peak reaches 2,426 m above sea level. On the island, two volcanic domains can be distinguished: the rounded northern third, or Taburiente domain, and the elongated dorsal domain from Taburiente to the southern tip of the island. The Taburiente domain is an enormous truncated cone with a quasicircular plant that currently rises to 2,426 m (Roque de los Muchachos), with a colossal central arcuate depression formed by heavy erosion: the Caldera de Taburiente. It was formed by the consecutive superposition of different stratovolcanoes due to progressive reactivation. Since the island emerged, successive volcanic activity has piled up materials to heights of over 3,000 m above sea level. The reactivation of the central volcano has resulted in the circular shape that characterizes the domain. The entire subaerial phase rested on the underwater volcanic materials that constitute the so-called Basal Complex (4 mya). This formation eventually surpassed the sea level and was subsequently intruded by gabbros and dikes which were the magma chambers and conduits of the following eruptions. The first subaerial emissions constitute the so-called Garafía volcano (1.77 mya), which was mainly composed of basaltic flows intruded by basic vertical and subvertical dikes and largely covered by posterior volcanic phases. On top of this formation developed the Taburiente volcano (1.10 mya), with a thick lower section of agglomerates and basic slide breccias that covered almost the entire emerged island. A large pile of basaltic flows was formed above it. Subsequently, the upper section (1.1-0.80 mya) was emitted, with a similar composition to the previous one and crowned by frequent strombolian cones, also basaltic, some of them hydromagnetic. Finally, a subrecent phase (0.80-0.71 mya) of phonolytic and tephritic cones was produced. About half a million years ago, at the end of the construction of the Taburiente complex, the accumulation of material on the southern flank must have been so great that, due to gravitational instability or increasing lithostatic pressure, a great collapse occurred, known as the Aridane slide. The volume of the mobilized material has been estimated between 180-200 km³ and it is located at the bottom of the sea covering the slope of the island. The resulting depression created the Aridane Valley, which was occupied by the Bejenado volcano (1,854 m) emitted 0.530 mya, which was sustained by the materials that were left uncovered from the substrate of the Basal Complex. Phonolithic lava flows were emitted. Bejenado has steep slopes, the center of which must have been located further north, inside the Caldera. The rapid erosive widening of the caldera and the possible landslides it suffered have completely dismantled the northern flank of this building. The maximum thickness on the underwater substrate of the Basal Complex is about 600 m at Pico Bejenado. On the sides of the mouth of the Las Angustias ravine there are thick deposits of sand and gravel that form two large walls. They extend upstream to the area of La Viña, and have a maximum thickness of about 300 m. The resulting sedimentation on reaching the edge of the sea forms a fan delta. In the lower parts of the deposit there are phonolytic lava flows interspersed, with a composition similar to that of the Bejenado building, which leads us to believe that both events were, in part, simultaneous. The entire Taburiente Domain is, at present, totally inactive, and has probably not had any eruptions in the last 125 ka. Volcanism migrated southwards through the eruptive fissure of the Dorsal or Cumbre Vieja. The dorsal domain corresponds to the southern half of the island and is structured by an eruptive axis in a north-south direction, in which two sectors with well-defined reliefs can be clearly distinguished: Cumbre Nueva, or northern sector, with a very regular height of around 1,400 m, a length of about 7 km and an arched shape. Cumbre Vieja, or southern sector, which constitutes a volcanic structure that reactivates towards 0.123 mya through the 21.5 km long N-S rift that builds what is called the Cumbre Vieja Ridge. The six historical eruptions (last 500 years) on the island have taken place on this ridge, the last two in the 20th century (1949 and 1971). It is mainly formed by the concentration of fissures and the rift zone, which individualize two very pronounced slopes, eastern and western. At all times, the lava flows ran along the sides and reached the coast most of the time, occupying the seabed and fossilizing the previous cliff which is now seen as a paleo-cliff. The materials that were emitted are mainly basic alkaline lava flows (alkaline basalts, basanites, trachyba-salts and tephrites) and strombolian-type pyroclastic deposits. There are also a significant number of phonolytic domes scattered over the rift, such as the Teneguía dome that gave its name to the forelast eruption on the island. The current seismicity of the island is clearly associated with this Cumbre Vieja ridge. Sources Geology and Tectonics of La Palma – Instituto Geográfico Nacional External links Viewer of IDECanarias Instituto Geográfico Nacional Instituto Volcanológico de Canarias #tajogaite #cabezadevaca #montañarajada #cumbrevieja #lapalma #eruption #volcano

La Palma's Cumbre Vieja volcano eruption of 1971 Teneguía is a monogenetic cinder cone–a volcanic vent which has been active once and has had further seismic activity. It is situated on the island of La Palma, one of the Canary Islands, and is located at the southern end of the sub-aerial section of the Cumbre Vieja volcano, of which Teneguía is just one of many vents. The eruption was mainly strombolian in style. Lava was also erupted, and the streams reached the sea by the southeastern coast. Seismic activity did occur before and during the 1971 eruption but was not on the scale associated with the 1949 eruption. Residual thermal emissions continue. This vent was the source of a subaerial volcanic eruption in Spain, which occurred from October 26 to November 28, 1971. Earthquakes preceded the eruption. A tourist died as a result of severe intoxication caused by gas inhalation near the volcano after breaking the security cordon established to protect the population. The eruption caused some property damage to roads, crops, and homes. It also destroyed a beach, though a new one was later formed by natural means. Densely populated zones were not affected. The vent has since become an attraction for tourists and forms part of the Monumento Natural de Los Volcanes de Teneguía.

La Palma's Cumbre Vieja volcano eruption of 1470

The poster of Paleoconéctate. Slide for details. All illustrations and photos are created by myself, unless noted otherwise. Design and diagrams are own work. On March 28th 2019 was the first congress of the paleontology project “Paleoconéctate”, which was held at the Faculty of Journalism in the University of La Laguna. The investigation group is integrated by paleontologists Dr. Carolina Castillo Ruiz –the president of the act– and Penélope Cruzado Caballero –the secretary of organization–, as well as other scientists of the University of La Laguna and the Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre, and I have the honour to be part of it. I’m proud to present the above poster which I created for Paleoconéctate. The poster tells the story of our planet since its formation up until the present, while contextualizing the major natural and historical events that took place in the Canary Islands. The photos (unless stated otherwise), illustrations, diagrams and parts of the text are my own work, created exclusively for the poster of this project. Mesozoic (252.17 Ma—66.0 Ma) The Permian–Triassic extinction, which happened about 252 million years ago, is colloquially known as the Great Dying, and with good reason, since it is the Earth's most severe known extinction event, with up to 96% of all marine species and 70% of terrestrial vertebrate species becoming extinct. This event marked the transition of the Paleozoic to the Mesozoic, as well as the wake of the Triassic period. The biosphere was so severly impoverished, it was well into the middle of the Triassic before life recovered its former diversity. The remaining therapsids and archosaurs were the chief terrestrial vertebrates during this time. A specialized group of archosaurs, dinosaurs, first evolved in Gondwana, but it wasn't until the Jurassic when they became the dominant terrestrial animals. The Canary Islands are located in the North Atlantic Ocean, which opened up 175 million years ago during the Lower Jurassic due to rifting that separated Laurasia into North America and Eurasia. Gondwana still remained assembled until 145 million years ago when the separation gave rise to the South Atlantic Ocean. The oldest islands of the Canaries were formed 20.2 million years ago and had therefore not yet formed during the Mesozoic. The oceanic crust from which they emerged, however, did exist during the Cretaceous and half of the Jurassic, when dinosaurs were the dominant terrestrial animals. 66 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous, the sudden Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) mass extinction event mercilessly wiped out three-quarters of the plant and animal species on Earth, not leaving a single tetrapod heavier than 25 kg (55 lbs.), only with the exception of ectothermic animals such as crocodilians and the leatherback sea turtle. It marked the end of the Cretaceous period and with it, the entire Mesozoic Era, opening the Cenozoic Era that continues today. Due to the great length of time between the K–Pg extinction and the emergence of the first of the Canary Islands (roughly 45 million years), and since no fully marine non-avian dinosaurs are known to have existed (some members of the Spinosauridae family were only semiaquatic and preferred shallow aquatic environments such as estuaries), no non-avian dinosaurs can possibly be unearthed in the Canary Islands. Most animals recovered from those periods are foraminifera and ammonites, such as Partschiceras sp., in the island of Fuerteventura, which has Mesozoic Era rock outcroppings due to the uplifting of oceanic crust on top of which the Canary Islands would one day form. Paleogene and Neogene (66.0 Ma—2.58 Ma) It is not until the early Miocene, 20.2 million years ago, when the first islands started to emerge above the sea level. This marks the appearance of vertebrate animals in the fossil record of the islands. Even though the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction is long since passed, the Canaries have never been devoid of dinosaurs at all, nor has most of the world for that matter, even to this day. Small volant theropods, like the famous Archaeopteryx lithographica from Germany, appeared in the Jurassic period and have been around ever since, surviving the sudden mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous. These surviving dinosaurs are known as birds. As a result of their high dispersal capabilities, birds are much more common on islands than are poorly dispersing taxa, like mammals and amphibians, and are likewise the first vertebrates to colonize newly emerged oceanic islands. The emergence of the Canary Islands occurred shortly after the rise of one of the greatest predators the oceans have ever seen, Carcharocles megalodon, around 23 million years ago. It was 18 meters (59 ft) long and weighed up to 100 tonnes. It was a very successful predator that lived until the late Pliocene and specialized on hunting small whales, usually under 5 meters long. C. megalodon is usually depicted as a stockier version of the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), though it is believed it might have been similar to the sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) or even the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) due to their overlap in size ranges. The most common fossils of C. megalodon are its huge teeth, which they have left all over the world’s oceans and seas, including the Canary Islands, indicating it had a cosmopolitan distribution. Megalodon's teeth are characterized by a triangular shape, robust structure, fine serrations, a lack of lateral denticles –which were still present in its ancestor Carcharocles chubutensis–, and of course their enormous size, the largest tooth ever found measuring 19.37 cm (7 5/8 in). The large jaws could exert a bite force of up to 110,000 to 180,000 newtons (25,000 to 40,000 lbf). Their teeth were built for grabbing prey and breaking bone. C. megalodon had 46 front row teeth, 24 in the upper jaw and 22 in the lower jaw. Most sharks have at least six rows of teeth, so a Megalodon would have had about 276 teeth in it's mouth at any given time. All sharks shed their teeth during their lifetime or as they grow, and it's estimated that an adult C. megalodon may have shed as many as 20.000 teeth during it's lifetime. This makes them one of the most common fossils of the Neogene. So much so, that these teeth have been found throughout history. Pliny the Elder, around 70 AD, thought they fell from the sky during lunar eclipses, and during the Middle Ages they were known as glossopetrae or “tongue stones” and thought to be the tongues of serpents that Saint Paul had turned to stone while visiting Malta. They were believed to have magical properties, most notably the ability to counter-act toxins of many kinds –from a snakebite to poison slipped by an assassin into a king's wine chalice– and were therefore worn by many medieval nobles and statesmen as amulets. The largest shark that has ever existed lived alongside an equally large sperm whale, known as Livyatan melvillei, with which it competed for prey. But the reason for its extinction 3.6 million years ago was due to a decreasing number of adequate prey and increased competition from other predators, like the ancestor of the killer whale and the great white shark. As the primitive Canary Islands grew larger, Fuerteventura along with Lanzarote formed a larger island called Mahan and remained fused until the Holocene. When sea levels dropped, the African and Canarian coastlines were closer together, which probably would’ve facilitated to some degree the arrival of larger vertebrates to the archipelago as is attested by the fossil record, including ratite eggs, boa vertebrae and tortoises. Some of the animals that were able to arrive and thrive in the islands suffered insular gigantism. The tortoises attained lengths comparable to those of the Aldabra tortoises (Aldabrachelys sp.) and the Galápagos tortoises (Chelonoidis sp.). Remains have been found in southern Tenerife, on Gran Canaria and also on Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, but these taxons remain undetermined. Most fossils are of bones and shells, as well as nests of fossilized eggs. The species from Tenerife, Geochelone burchardi, had a shell length of 65-94 cm, whereas G. vulcanica, from Gran Canaria, had a slightly shorter shell of 61 cm. Both species got extinct well before the humans first appeared in the archipelago, possibly due to volcanic eruptions; inhabiting the islands from the Miocene until the Upper Pleistocene. Cuaternary (2.58 Ma—0) Lizards of the subfamily Gallotiinae had colonized the islands shortly after they formed, between 17 and 20 million years ago, and radiated throughout the archipelago, growing in a wide variety of sizes. It is still a matter of debate whether the large lizards of the Canary Islands had suffered gigantism after colonizing the islands, or if they were already large before their arrival and some evolved smaller to occupy other niches. Some scholars favor the latter theory due to the discovery of older fossil lizards of the Gallotiinae family from Miocene mainland Europe of similar large sizes. The last common ancestor of giant lizards of the Canary Islands (G. intermedia, G. bravoana and G. simonyi) expanded 3 million years ago from La Gomera and the 3 islands that would one day become Tenerife towards La Palma and El Hierro. The giant lizard from Gran Canaria, despite its big size, is in fact a more basal taxon that diverged 11-13 million years ago. At least two giant lizards species got extinct in the last two millennia, probably due to hunting by indigenous peoples: Gallotia goliath (Gallotia maxima, a junior synonym) from Tenerife and Gallotia auaritae from La Palma. Due to the volcanic origin of the Canary Islands, they are mined with natural traps: lava tubes. Some of them are among the largest in the world. Lava tubes are conduits formed by flowing lava which moves beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow, because lava cools down first on the outside while the interior remains hot much longer. The tubes drain lava from a volcano during an eruption and get extinct when the lava flow ceases, leaving a long cave after the rock has cooled. Parts of the roof of the tube will then collapse under its own weight, and unfortunate animals like giant rats and lizards can fall into these crevices never to see the light of day again. However, these tubes offer the perfect environment for the preservation of these remains, like articulated skeletons as well as natural mummification. Another group of extinct animals has also reached the islands: murines, i.e. rats and mice. Rats are known to commonly achieve gigantism on oceanic islands, such as the also extinct Megaoryzomys curioi from the Galápagos Islands, but some species also attain big sizes in the mainland, like Cricetomys gambianus, widespread in Sub-Saharan Africa. Two species of giant rats from the Cuaternary have been described, one in Tenerife and another one in Gran Canaria. It is believed the rabbit-sized species from Tenerife, Canariomys bravoi, was arboreal and linked to the humid Monteverde forests in the north of the island, whereas C. tamarani, the species from Gran Canaria, was more slender and had a burrowing lifestyle, preferring open spaces. Both species were herbivorous and probably ate soft vegetables like some roots, ferns and berries. During the Pleistocene, the islands were also home to species of birds with reduced flight ability, like Chloris triasi from La Palma, and flightless birds like Emberiza alcoveri from Tenerife. For the sea-faring birds that arrived to the Canaries, the islands were a utopia, filled with plenty of food and devoid of predators. Over time, the birds lost their ability to fly because they simply had no use for it. This evolutionary story is actually not limited to the Canary Islands, but a common fenomenon which repeats itself on oceanic islands. Despite birds commonly losing the ability to fly in oceanic islands, these are two of the very few flightless passerines known to science, all of which are now extinct. The other flightless passerines being three species of New Zealand wrens: Lyall's wren (Traversia lyalli), the long-billed wren (Dendroscansor decurvirostris) and the stout-legged wren (Pachyplichas yaldwyni). Chloris triasi was very similar and closely related to the European greenfinch (Chloris chloris). However, its head was larger and broader and its bill was about 30% larger. Its legs were very long and robust, but compared to the greenfinch its wings were shorter. This might have been an adaption to more terrestrial habits in monteverde forests. Several remains have been found, including a relatively complete skull. Emberiza alcoveri also has a close relative from Europe, the yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella). This species is distinguishable from other Emberiza sp. due to its larger size, longer legs, shorter wings, and a differently-shaped bill. These features indicate that it was a flightless ground dweller. 8 skeletons have been found of this species. Possibly over 2000 years ago, Berbers arrived from Northwest Africa to the Canary Islands. Over the centuries, they differentiated into 7 distinct cultures, one on each island, with their own religion and social, political and economical structures. Upon the arrival of humans to the Canary Islands, they drove many endemic animal species, including the largest lizard species (Gallotia goliath and G. auaritae), to extinction due to hunting and the introduction of domestic animals. Nonetheless, several giant lizard species, like G. intermedia, G. bravoana and G. simonyi have survived the arrival of humans by retreating to remote cliffs, but were forced to adapt and attain smaller sizes. However, Gallotia stehlini from Gran Canaria not only managed to survive, but thrive in human presence and be the biggest of the remaining lizards in the Canary Islands. #gallotia #Gallotiaauaritae #Gallotiagoliath #Paleontology #Paleoconéctate #CanaryIslands #IslasCanarias #paleontología #poster #pósterpaleoconéctate

The genus Gallotia, endemic to the Canary Islands, contains one of the largest lacertids of the world. It appeared shortly after the emersion of the first islands 20 million years ago, and the last common ancestor of the giant lizards of the Canary Islands expanded 3 million years ago to La Gomera and the three islands that existed prior to the formation of Tenerife (Roque del Conde, Teno and Anaga). Finally, from La Gomera it colonized El Hierro 850 thousand years ago, differentiating into Gallotia simonyi, the Hierro giant lizard. Like all Canary giant lizards, it has a robust build and attains great lengths. Adults possess a dark coloration with lighter colored legs and tail, with a brownish belly. It bears clear spots above its mouth and at the sides of its head, as well as yellowish ocelli on its flanks, which are more prominent on the males. When cornered by predators, it confronts them with an open mouth and by emitting hissing sounds. They are capable of running even at relatively low temperatures. Before the arrival of humans, G. simonyi was distributed across the entire island up to heights of 700 m and 900 m. In the 1930s, the nominal subspecies (G. s. simonyi) –which only lived on the Roque Chico de Salmor– becomes extinct due to reasons that include illegal collecting, remaining only one subspecies (G. s. machadoi). Nowadays, the only natural population is restricted to the Risco de Tibataje, and since 1999 it has been reintroduced to several natural areas. However, due to the proximity of the Breeding Center to a foot of a cliff, in 2007 a landslide killed 182 lizards of a total of 268 (~70%) – a disaster that constitutes an irreparable damage and a serious loss of genetic diversity. Feral cats and rats suppose a great threat to many endemic species, of which not even the giant lizard can escape. On the other hand, goats and rabbits compete with lizards for native plants. This, along with their loss of habitat, reduces their population number and therefore any minor alteration of their environment can cause the extinction of this symbolic lizard. #lizard #gallotia #CanaryIslands

The dolmen Chronology 2500 BC — 1500 BC (Pre-talaiotic) Dimensions Tumulus: 7.2 m (length) × 4.3 m (width) Chamber: 4.2 m (length) × 2.4 m (width) × 2.4 m (height) Corridor: 2.5 m (length) × 0.7 m (width) The tomb of Ses Roques Llises belongs to the Dolmen culture, and it was built between 2000 and 1400 BC. Surprisingly, despite being the oldest known dolmen of Menorca, it is the most beautiful and best preserved of the Gymnesian Islands and is only equalled by the Ca Na Costa dolmen on Formentera. It possesses a rectangular or slightly trapezoidal corridor pointing southwest, with marginal flat stones that lead to a chamber through a stone with an oval perforation. The entire structure was built with large slabs (6 for the chamber) arranged on the bedrock. Of the tumulus that formerly covered the tomb completely or partially, only the northern side of the retaining wall remains. The site was excavated in 1974, and human remains were found but they were so fragmented it was impossible to assess the number of individuals that were placed in the tomb, as well as their position in the tomb. Along with the skeletal remains, a high number of artefacts were found: ceramics, sometimes decorated with motives, a rectangular bone button, a small bronze knife, a partial bronze dagger, two fragments of bracelets and a conical stone that was interpreted as a possible idol.

The navetas Chronology 2000 BC (Pre-talaiotic) — 800 BC (Talaiotic II) Dimensions Structure: 6 m (diameter) Chamber: 4.3 m (length) × 1.8 m (width) Corridor: 1.7 m (length) At the site Biniac-L'Argentina there are two navetas, east and west, and they're the most significant navetas of the ancient type, being intermediate between dolmens (e.g. Ses Roques Llises) and late type navetas like the ones at Rafal Rubí and Es Tudons. Dating the navetas is difficult since these structures were used until the Talaiotic period, as evidenced by excavations of the western naveta that revealed modifications and expansions, but according to the intermediate evolution of these navetas, it is necessarily one of the oldest.

This site contains not one, but two different navetas, called Rafal Rubí north and Rafal Rubí south, and both are practically twins. They're both late type navetas, although slightly older and larger than the famous naveta from Es Tudons. The Rafal Rubí south still preserves slabs that were used as shelves in both ends of the lower chamber, whereas the northern naveta is too destroyed to assess whether it also had them. The southern naveta Chronology Pre-talaiotic (2000-1400 BC) — Talaiotic I (1400-1000 BC) Dimensions Structure: 16.5 m (length) × 8.1 (m) Lower chamber: 6.8 m (length) × 2.5 m (width) Upper chamber: 8.9 m (length) × 1.9 m (width) Corridor: 2.7 m (length) × 0.9 m (width) During the excavations of the southern naveta, 29 burials were identified, although with very little burial paraphernalia. This might indicate that the upper floor of the naveta was an ossarium where older rests were stored. The scarce ceramic fragments that were found are dated to the end of the Pre-talaiotic period and early Talaiotic, which is a common practice as these monuments were still used well into the Talaiotic period. Nothing was found in the lower floor, because it was emptied in ancient times to house livestock.

Despite its small size, it is really spectacular: It lies on the top of a cliff, the Barranco d'en Fideu, granting it beautiful views, and furthermore it is the best preserved navetiform village. There are also foundations of other navetiforms left. The village has a privileged strategic location, as it is built on the confluence of two different fluvial ravines. The navetiform (Sa Cova des Moro) Chronology Pre-talaiotic (2000-1400 BC) — Talaiotic I (1400-1000 BC) Dimensions Structure: 17.3 m (length) × 7.2 m (width) Chamber: 13 m (length) × 3.6 m (width) The navetiforms present an elongated horseshoe-shaped plan, and are of cyclopean masonry. Three polylithic pillars of the Mediterranean type (wider at the top) support an atypical ceiling for navetiforms built with slabs. Normally, ceilings of navetiforms are made out of wooden beams and mortar. Due to the greater durability and resistance of the structure, this navetiform has lasted to our days in a great state.

The naveta Chronology Talaiotic I (1400-1000 BC) — Talaiotic II (1000-800 BC) Dimensions Structure: 13.5 m (length) × 6.4 m (width) Lower chamber: 7.5 m (length) × 2.5 m (width) × 2.3 m (height) Upper chamber: 7.1 m (length) × 1.9 m (width) × 0.9 m (height) Corridor: 1.4 m (length) × 1.3 m (width) The Naveta des Tudons is the most famous megalithic chamber tomb in Menorca, and the most emblematic monument of Balearic prehistory. To date, it is considered the oldest integrally conserved ancient monument of all of Europe. It is a late type naveta that was built during the Proto-talaiotic period, in 1200 BC, and used until 750 BC. It served as a collective tomb which contained, when it was discovered in 1975, at least 100 men and different objects like bronze bracelets or bone and ceramic buttons. It lacks a perforated slab, as opposed to the navetas from Rafal Rubí. Its walls are filled with rubble and consist of massive stones placed together withough mortar (cyclopean masonry). Inside there are 2 different chambers; the small access leads to a narrow passageway that connects with an upper chamber and to a second door, which leads to the lower chamber. The intermediate floor and the roof are built with large slabs that act as supporting beams. The legend says that two brothers were competing for the love of a girl. To decide who would be the chosen one, they started a construction, and the first one to finish it would marry the girl. One of them decided to build the naveta and the other one a well. The time run and when the last stone was about to be placed on the naveta, the other brother shouted: "Water, water!". Then, in anger, the brother building the naveta threw the last stone of the façade into the well, killing his brother. Feeling remorse for what he had done, he comitted suicide. It is said that the girl died alone and was buried in the naveta.

Chronology Level I: 1286 AD (conquest by Alfonso III of Aragon) Level II: Roman Imperial period Level III and IV: 1800 BC (Proto-talaiotic) — 200 BC It was undoubtedly a big walled village, as attested by the many preserved buildings it possesses, like a taula, two talaiots, one of which is circular and placed on top of a platform, a hypostyle and several hypogaea. It was founded during the Proto-talaiotic period, ~1800 BC. Most datations obtained vary between 1310 to 1238 BC, meaning the village reached its peak during the Talaiotic I period. The taula Dimensions Pillar: 4.3 m (height) × 2.4-2.5 m (width) × 0.4-0.6 m (thickness) Capital: 3.7-3.8 m (length) × 1-1.2 m (width) × 0.7 m (thickness) Torralba d'en Salord is home to the best preserved taula, as well as one of the largest and most gorgeous. According to the findings, the sanctuary that it encloses has been dated to around 1000 BC. The precinct has elements of a typical taula sanctuary. The taula is large and beautifully proportioned. The monolithic pillar is slightly broader in its upper end and has a reinforcing "spine" on its back. The capital is shaped like the trunk of a reversed pyramid, and has a groove in which the pillar is fixed. The taula has a typical morphology, and the sanctuary consists of 15 monolithic pillars and 11 niches in its walls, with three steps that descend into the precinct. Thick layers of ashes around and in front of the Taula harboured bone fragments of animals, which is evidence of animal sacrifices in bonfires. The artefacts that were found included a bronze figurine of a bull and a terracotta figurine of the Phoenician goddess Tanit. In an astronomical sense however, the taula is very atypical. While most taulas have their façade oriented towards the south, the one at Torralba d'en Salord has its façade pointing east. It is thought this orientation was preferred since the slope desdends towards this direction and therefore the horizon is clearly visible. This causes a completely different astronomical alignment: this taula is the only one with a precinct of which the entrance is aligned with the equinox. The well of Na Patarrà Chronology Talaiotic I (1400-1000 BC) Near the village there is a 47 m-deep well. It has 9 sections of stairs that descend zigzagging along one of the walls and 199 steps, that were used to collect water from the phreatic zone and redirect it to the basin located at the bottom of the well. Each step has a width of 1.2 m and starting from the second stairs there is a banister 50 cm wide. It is truly a remarkable feat of engineering of Prehistory.

Chronology Talaiotic I (1400-1000 BC) Cornia Nou was founded on top of a rocky hill, of which many stones have been extracted to be used in the construction of buildings. The village of Cornia Nou possesses many structures, but the most remarkable are two talaiots, both have a circular plan and a shape of a truncated cone. The western talaiot is of a great size, while the eastern talaiot is incorporated into a defensive wall and lies next to two connected water reservoirs excavated in the rock. There is a nearby hill of 4.000 m² surrounded by a wall of cyclopean masonry, which still preserves a gate composed of polylithic pillars and a monolithic lintel, now fallen. Also included in the village is a sanctuary and several hypogaea that are part of a necropolis. Many artefacts have been recovered during the excavations. The objects that have been found are a bronze dagger, Talaiotic, Punic Roman, Iberian and Arabic ceramics, mortar, a deer antler, and hand mills. The western talaiot Dimensions Structure: 26 m (length) × 22 m (width) × 10 m (height) This solid talaiot is the largest of the two talaiots of the village, with an imposing stair reaching to the top. The recent excavations have uncovered an apsidal-shaped structure which leads to a tunnel into a precinct. This tunnel in turn connects to an external platform that leads to the steep stair of the talaiot. Besides this tunnel, two other steep stairs have been discovered, one to the southeast and another one to the west. On top of the talaiot there used to be a precinct.