Cova des Camp des Bisbe

Entrance to the cave

The Cova des Camp des Bisbe ( standard Catalan Cova del Camp del Bisbe , Bishop's Field Cave) is a small cave on the Spanish Balearic island of Mallorca . It is located in the municipality of Sencelles in the region ( comarca ) Pla de Mallorca and, according to archaeological finds made in it, served as a burial cave in prehistoric times.

location

The Cova des Camp des Bisbe is located at about 105 meters above sea level in the ses Tanquetes area on the northeastern outskirts of Sencelles, about 700 meters from the Parròquia de Sant Pere church in the center of the village. North of the cave entrance, the MA-3121 road leads to Costitx . Access to the cave area is from the Camí de Son Mut street , the extended Carrer des Bons Aires , which branches off at a roundabout south of the MA-3121.

description

Information sign at the entrance

The Cova des Camp des Bisbe consists of only three rooms. They are located directly below the ground level and can be entered via an entrance in the north. The archaeological investigations of the interior are currently (2017) still ongoing. So far it has been assumed that it was a collective burial cave for adults and children of both sexes, which began in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. Was used. It could have been used for burials by the inhabitants of the nearby prehistoric settlements of Son Calussa, Son Caimari or Son Fransoi from the Naviform period in the pre- Talaiotic period of Mallorca, which were located southeast of the cave.

The excavations, led by Lua Valenzuela and Beatriz Paloma, after initial investigations of the site in 2013, were supported by the Sencelles community, the Consell de Mallorca and the Mossèn Bartomeu Oliver Foundation, who owns the site. In addition to human remains, grave goods and over a hundred buttons were found that must have been used in shrouds. Many of these buttons were made of ivory from African elephants , which indicates an exchange with seafarers of the Mediterranean. In addition, 50 kilograms of charred remains of grain and legumes were discovered in various containers, which according to the C14 dating to the time of the burial between 1400 and 900 BC. And are interpreted as possible food offerings.