Would you buy some talaiots? In Montuïri they are selling them, those of S'Hort de Sabor

MontuïriWould you buy some talaiots? The real estate market in Pla de Mallorca continues to surprise: the estate called S’Hort de Sabor has been put up for sale, a plot of almost 64,000 square meters, 9 quarterades, which is part of the homonymous estate of Sabor. It is within the municipal district of Montuïri and very close to the well-known archaeological site of Son Forners.

But beyond being a rustic plot of land, the operation hides an incalculable heritage and historical value: among its vegetation, within the garrigue or Pleta de Sabor, lies - few people knew it until now - a part of the archaeological complex of the Talayotic settlement of Sabor. Structures already cataloged as a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC).

This site is located barely 600 meters in a straight line from the known and visitable site of Son Forners and 200 meters from the central column of another talayot known as the Campanar dels Moros. This proximity gives it an even higher value, as we could consider a very large archaeological complex. However, unlike its neighbor – widely excavated and publicized – Sabor's site keeps practically all its secrets intact, as no archaeological excavation campaigns have ever been carried out there.

According to the information and studies from the specialized portal Ancient Balearics (see the publication), hypotheses suggest that the settlement of Sabor could have once covered a large area, even larger than that of the Son Forners site itself. The historian Josep Mascaró Pasarius had already collected these remains in his inventory, but it was not until the cartography work carried out between 2007 and 2008 by Antonio Encinas and José Francisco Argente – image above – that the relevance of the hill where this main nucleus was settled could be confirmed. In the more modern walls around the estate, stones and reused materials from the ancient settlement can still be observed.

According to Encinas and Argente, in Pleta de Sabor there are five talayots plus a sixth one that is close to the other side of the road at the entrance to the houses of the Sabor estate. With the sale of this property, the debate on the management and protection of the archaeological heritage in private hands in Pla de Mallorca is once again brought to the table. Although access to the hill for visits currently requires the owner's permission, its sale opens the door to future scenarios regarding the preservation or possible public protection of a site with an "infinite projection", as experts highlight.

We recall that in the case of the archaeological site and the possession houses of Son Forners, they were acquired at zero cost by the City Council. Thus, the Montuïri City Council became the owner in exchange for urban planning exchanges in the segregation of the property into three parts. Two for private individuals where new buildings were allowed, and the public one, that of the archaeological site and the old houses of Son Forners.