…islands, and, although the prehistoric Talayotic civilization (so termed from its characteristic rough stone towers calledtalayots) seems to have continued without much modification, the focal position of the islands in the Mediterranean laid them open to continued influence from civilizations centred farther to the east, as many archaeological finds…

…“talayotic”—from the name of thetalayot, a megalithic monument in the form of a round or quadrangular tower. Majorca still has about 1,000 talayots, and Minorca has more than 300. These high numbers indicate the amplitude of construction activity during this period, implying precise architectural planning and the coordination of…

…change until Roman times, include talayots andtaulas, both structures of unknown purpose. The former, a type of tower, was roofed, generally with the aid of a central pillar composed of circular superimposed slabs, and faced with clay to produce a monolithic structure. Thetaulas, so-called “tables,” may well have…