The Site of Pollentia
Founded
in 123 BC as a military settlement after the army of the Roman consul Quintus
Caecilius Metellus conquered the island of Mallorca,
Pollentia's urban construction began in 70
BC. The city would be abandoned in the 5th
century. following the general decline of the Roman Empire.
The ruins of the Roman city, in the modern town of Alcudia, are the best preserved Roman remains on the island and they have become an important reference for the study of the introduction and spread of the Roman culture in the Balearic Islands. The site was discovered in the 17th century, and systematic research started in the 1930s. So far, archaeologists have uncovered three main areas: a residential quarter, the city forum and the theater.
The
residential area of La Portella shows the remains of three domus
that allow us a very close study of the Roman housing structures.
The ArchaeoSpain group will focus its research in the forum, where current archaeological work is providing very valuable information about the urban organization of Pollentia. The forum was the public square of the town, and recent archaeological activity has been able to identify the temple of the Capitol and a wide area with tabernae (shops).
On the outskirts of the city, the Roman theater, built in the year 70 and excavated in the bedrock, completes the archaeological complex of Pollentia.
This theater was initially excavated by the Bryant Foundation with a team
from Bowdoin University. Their study has allowed us to see how this theater
was built according to the classical rules, with its semicircular seating
area, orchestra and rectangular stage.
The theater would later be used as a cemetery in late Roman times and we can still see some of the tombs excavated in the bedrock.
Reading Material:
Orfila Pons, M.; Chavez Alvarez, M. E.; Cau Ontiveros, M. À. "Pollentia and the Cities of the Balearic Islands." Early Roman Towns in Hispania Tarraconensis, Journal of Roman Archaeology Supplementary Series, 62 (2006). Portsmouth, Rhode Island. pp. 133-145.