Palma de Mallorca – A team of archaeologists are unearthing some bones on a site in Palma. After being investigated by the Guardia Civil to eliminate the possibility of a recent crime, a bone was sent to America for ‘carbon dating’ which was returned with an estimated 2,130 year old tag, in other words Phoenician, around 150 years BC. The body posture and the place it was found inside the site has lead to a great deal of interest not only with the team in Palma led by archaeologist Ramon Martin Gordon, but a professor from Oxford University claims that there are no other known Phoenician bones in such an interesting position. At that time they were usually cremated. A further specialist in forensic studies from Madrid has identified these same bones as those of a young male about 25 years old, he has various caries in his teeth and signs of early cancer in his jaw bone. The first stages of the unearthing discovered a thorn from a “manta ray” between the ribs that could have possible caused the death by going through the liver. This all reads like a Medieval ‘who done it’
The remains are about to be moved from where he fell or was buried, who can tell?
The final resting place will be in the Mallorca Museum, when the field works ends. This is a five year work project and soon will start a crowd funding project to be able to finish on this unique Phoenician site.