RESEARCH >Sa Nitja's prospections

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1 - Land and underwater prospection campaigns (1993-2001)>>>
2 - Prospection on surface>>>
3 - Underwater prospection 1994>>>
4 - Underwater prospection 2001>>>

Land and underwater prospection campaigns (1993 - 2001)

Thanks to the research project awarded by the Fundació “La Caixa” for the revalorization of the Roman city of Sanisera, the Association Sa Nitja (management agency of the Ecomuseum de Cap de Cavalleria) started several studies in the Roman port, carrying out a series of land and underwater prospections.

In this way, to re-start the archaeological work after almost a decade of inactivity in the site, as a first action, the archaeologist J. C. de Nicolás, gave to the Association Sa Nitja some archaeological material recovered from the Sanitja port.

This collection was good enough to show the wide chronological extension pointed out by the published research. Likewise, this material would permit the identification of the archaeology to be found in the site and would be very valuable to compare with the material found in later prospection campaigns.

A quick analysis of the collection identified the oldest material, both in fine pottery and amphorae, with the foundation time close to the Roman conquest of the Balearic Islands, around 150 B.C.

The final chronology is marked by the common presence of 7th century A.D. Clear D Samian, with a Hayes 105, Keay LXI, as the most modern item, dated between 450 A.D. – 700 A.D.

Regarding fine pottery, more than half of the material (53.3%) is of African origin, Samian Clear A and D, and African kitchen ware, although the African amphora is only 21.4%, in relation to the other outstanding amphoric types.