The City Council of Inca has presented the results of the most recent excavation campaign carried out at the prehistoric site of Son Mas des Potecari —one of the municipality’s most remarkable archaeological complexes and currently the subject of an extensive research, conservation and public outreach project.
The initiative, supported by the Consell de Mallorca and the owners of the estate, aims to recover an area heavily altered throughout the 20th century and to transform it into an active heritage site: scientifically documented, well-preserved and socially accessible.
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Inca City Council unveils the latest findings from the excavation campaign at the Son Mas des Potecari archaeological site
Son Mas des Potecari stands out as an exceptional and little-studied site in Mallorca. The structures identified so far —a possible naviform building, a stepped platform, and a talayot— represent the most monumental types of each major phase of Balearic prehistory: the Bronze Age, the Bronze–Iron transition and the Iron Age.
The current campaign includes excavation work, recording and cataloguing of artefacts, topographic surveying and structural consolidation. Specialist analyses —such as archaeobotanical, ceramic and faunal studies— will help reconstruct the landscape and daily life of the prehistoric communities that lived there.
Highlights from the 2024–2025 excavation campaign
Project co-directors Magdalena Sastre, Javier Rivas and Cristina Rubio have shared some of the most significant findings:
1. New access points and potential concentric rings
A second possible entrance corridor has been identified in the stepped platform, suggesting a more complex and symbolically significant architectural layout typical of the Late Bronze Age.
2. Wide variety of archaeological artefacts
Ceramics, bone tools, a ring, coins and other items have been recovered. Many originate from surface layers, indicating centuries of reuse and continuous human presence.
3. The site is larger than previously thought
New mounds and stone alignments point to additional structures yet to be excavated, potentially including constructions older than those currently being studied.
A strong commitment to heritage preservation
The Councillor for Culture, Alice Weber, emphasised the importance of the project:
“Every stone that disappears is lost information about Mallorca’s history. That is why we firmly support projects like Son Mas des Potecari.”
The next phase will expand the excavation area, deepen the study of newly identified structures and reinforce public engagement through open days and educational materials.