Excavations on the Spanish island of Mallorca have attracted the attention of historians and archaeologists from around the world. Researchers working at the Son Fornes site near Montuiri believe they have found traces of a previously unknown Roman city. These may have been Tucis or Ghium, settlements mentioned by Pliny the Elder but whose location remained a mystery for centuries.
The excavation was carried out by a team ASOME‑UAB is a research group in archeology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
“These findings are so convincing that we are even willing to bet that it could be Tucis,” said archaeologist Beatriu Palomar.
Discovery after twenty years of excavation
The Mediterranean Social Archeology Project has been excavating at Son Fornes for nearly 20 years. The latest season has brought extraordinary discoveries: archaeologists have identified the remains of a carefully planned urban development, which distinguishes the site from an ordinary village settlement.
The excavation area has an area of about 5,000 square meters – that is half the area of a football field. According to Palomar, the scale of the structures and their layout confirm the Roman character of the city.
Why Tutsis and Gium Matter
After the conquest of Majorca by the Roman commander Quintus Caecilius Metellus in 123 BC. D. Municipalities with tax and administrative systems, called civitates stipendiaariae, were established on the island. These cities were key to governing the island, collecting taxes, and spreading Roman culture.
To date, the location of Tutsis and Giyum remains unknown. Historians have proposed many different versions, including Sineu, Manacor, Petra and Ses Salines, but archaeological evidence is still lacking.
Roman artifacts confirm the city's status
Son Fornes is notable not only for the scale of the buildings but also for the quality of the finds. Archaeologists have discovered tegulae, Roman tiles brought from elsewhere, as well as amphorae and elaborate tableware. All this indicates the high status of the settlement, significant population and active commercial activity.
“The volume of material found on the surface alone speaks to the extreme importance of this Roman site,” said Cristina Rihuete, director of the Son Fornes Archaeological Museum.
Two thousand years of history in one place
Son Fornes is one of the most important archaeological sites of the Balearic Islands. Excavations have been underway since 1975 and revealed nearly 2,000 years of continuous human presence.
The early layers show a prehistoric society with talaiots – large stone meeting towers. Later, Roman-style elites and villas emerged, reflecting influences from Phoenician, Punic, and Roman cultures. Under Roman rule, Mallorca, or Mayor of Balearis, acquired strategic importance: roads and ports were built, agriculture and the economic system developed. Cities like Pollentia flourished as commercial and administrative centers.
To definitively determine whether Son Fornes is Tucis or Gium, archaeologists will focus on the city center during the next excavation season. So far, Son Fornes is considered one of the most promising discoveries in Mallorca in decades – a site that could bring a long-lost Roman city back to life.
