057: Digging The Son Bou Basilica and in its necropolis

General Information

In 2008 the Sanisera Archaeology Institute for International Field Schools started its courses in classical roman archaeology on the Mediterranean island of Menorca. During all these years many students have come from all over the world to study abroad in order to dig up the Roman remains.

We recommend this field school to those students interested in bioanthropology, osteology, digging remains of the roman cities and classical archaeology.
This course is divided in two parts. In this way, students can learn and experiment in both archaeological digs, developed in the land site: Digging in the Early Christian Basilica and Biological Anthropology in the tombs of Son Bou archaeological site.

Part 1. Digging in the Early Christian Basilica -Son Bou-

The research is focused on the archaeological excavation of The Son Bou basilica

The research focuses on the archaeological excavation of the area around the Early Christian Basilica of Son Bou to discover the remains of the population that lived next to the temple. Through a baptismal font found in the church, we know that inhabitants were concentrated on the south coast of the island who lived thanks to agriculture, livestock and fishing. And quite possibly they would have commercial contacts with people from other nearby islands. We have evidence of ceramics that come from Ibiza and from more remote places in the East, from the Palestine area (present-day countries of Israel and Jordan).

The excavation at the Basilica of Son Bou provides all the archaeological documentation necessary for the student to acquire enough training and experience in all aspects involving an excavation of the Roman civilization from the VI century A.D. to the VIII A.D.

Time dedicated to this part of the program: 50%.

 

Part 2. Digging roman graves in the Necropolis of Son Bou

In November 2022, the Sanisera Archeology Institute began excavating in the area outside the basilica, in an area very close to the beach, identifying new, unpublished tombs that we want to excavate to find out aspects of the population such as age, sex, pathologies. and issues related to bioarchaeology. It’s estimated that we can discover ten tombs that may correspond to the VII and VIII centuries AD.

Our team of archaeologists and osteology specialists have a lot of experience in these aspects, since a necropolis is being excavated every year at the Sanisera site, which is located in the north of the island of Menorca, and which also belongs to the Late Antiquity period.

The fieldwork focuses on funerary structures, specifically inhumation graves. Participants will learn and apply excavation techniques used in biological anthropology when excavating tombs. Students will also participate in lectures on skeletal anatomy and pathologies, classes and exercises related to the course material. In the laboratory participants will be instructed by an anthropologist and other archaeologists in the classification, study, and conservation of human remains and other related materials found.

Time dedicated to this part of the program: 50%.

 

 

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Digging inside the Basilica of Son Bou

Very detailed excavation of the temple to locate carbon to date the basilica of Son Bou

Student in the laboratory learning to identify human bones

Learning to draw an excavated tomb like the ones found in Son Bou

Classifying bones in the laboratory after recovery from field work