Destruction of settlements and archaeological constructs: the impact of the Second Punic War on Minorca

The first archaeological evidence backing Mago’s supposed wintering in Minorca during the Second Punic War was uncovered at the settlement of Trepuc., in particular during the 1976-1986 excavations. The passing of time saw an expansion in publications and archaeological projects of the notion of the violent destruction of many settlements during the Barcid occupation. Yet these interpretations often appear to be forced, expressing more the desire to align the data into an existing narrative than identifying the evidence for what it really is. This article analyses the development of this construct over almost four decades through a discussion of the archaeological contexts with a special emphasis on chronology.

Keywords: Second Punic War, settlement destruction, Mago’s wintering, archaeological analysis.