Phoenician site of Sa Caleta

The Phoenician site of Sa Caleta is located on the South coast of the island, between the beaches des Codolar and Puig des Jondal, seated on a small peninsula. It has been the most important discovery of the Balearic Islands in the last twenty years.

Phoenician-site-of-Sa-Caleta-in-Sant-Josep-de-Sa-Talaia

 

The discovery of this archaeological site was vital to understand the history of Ibiza, since it was a key site of human settlement on the island, its origins go back to the VIIIth Century b. C. Thanks to the importance and historical value of the discovery, the settlement was included as a world heritage by Unesco in 1999 called ‘Ibiza, biodiversity and culture’.

 

Phoenician site of Sa Caleta
© Roberto Pla
The Phoenician site of Sa Caleta consisted of small houses, alleys, walking areas and common as small squares, there have been two ovens circular floor of about 2m, and in the eastern part of the peninsula , coinciding with a small mouth of a river , they did serve this cove as a natural harbor pier area that even today remains in use and is a refuge for fishing boats .

 

It is known that the Phoenicians were engaged in agricultural , livestock , fisheries including shellfish harvesting , which seized the salt and minerals from the area who worked in in their ovens.

It is considered that the Phoenician site of Sa Caleta remained in this area until approximately the centuries 600-900 BC that was when left it to settle definitely in what today is known as Ibiza town.