Biniai Nou hypogea

There are two funerary hypogea in Biniai Nou (Mahón), which were built in the Chalcolithic period (the oldest phase with human presence known so far for the island of Menorca). These hypogea have their chamber excavated into the rock, whereas the access or corridor was built with vertical stone slabs, which form a megalithic façade. These two tombs were excavated several years ago by an archaeological team sponsored by the Museum of Menorca. These tasks shed light into their chronology and let the team recover objects that formed part of the grave goods that accompanied the dead: ceramic vessels, awls, radiolarite fragments (a type of rock that was used to make tools). The tombs date from the Chalcolithic or Bronze Age. The importance of the Biniai Nou site lies on the fact that one of the human bones located in one of the hypogea was C14 dated and offered the oldest dating available in Menorca’s Prehistory (2290-2030 BC).