A small bronze bull head sculpture discovered by a hiker in the Sierra de Tramontana mountain range in Mallorca, Spain is now being studied by archaeologists. The head is only three centimeters (1.2 in) long and is the only small bull head found in Mallorca known to survive. Thanks to the diligence of the hiker who immediately informed the Consul de Mallorca about the find and handed it over to the authorities, this unique artifact will be preserved in the Museum of Mallorca.
Between 600 and 200 BC, the bull’s head was produced by sophisticated metalsmiths of the post-Talaiotic culture, descendants of the first settlers of Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands. They are named after the megalithic towers known as talaites that pepper the islands’ landscape, around 300 of them on Mallorca alone. The bull’s features—ears, horns, eyes, nose—are carefully sculpted and carved in the typical form of Talaiotic culture. Archaeologists believe it was once part of a larger sculpture or decorative fitting.
The V bullhead shares common design elements with the colossal bullheads of Costics and are symbols of the bull’s ancient totemic importance in Spain’s cultural history. Three life-size heads were discovered in the late 19th century at the archaeological site of Son Coro outside Costa Teguci, Mallorca, and are believed to belong to a cult worshiping the Tlaiotic bull. They are now on display at Madrid’s National Archeology Museum, much to the chagrin of the Costetics, who have repeatedly requested the Spanish government to return the heads to their home only to be repeatedly refused. This disadvantage adds a lot of weight to maintaining the smaller version.
The bull’s head is now undergoing archaeological and metallurgical analysis by researchers from the Council of Mallorca. They hope to answer the question of when it was made, the metallurgical techniques used, the composition of the metal and whether it was originally mounted on a larger piece.
