Mallorca has large, perhaps surprisingly large archaeological wealth. But it is not surprising given that so much of this wealth is at sea.
For more than two thousand years (at least), Mallorca has been on the route travelled by the peoples of the Mediterranean. The seabed is full of wrecks. But because there is no complete underwater archaeology map, there remain many areas that are an almost total mystery, such as the northern coast of the Tramuntana.
No one can say how much of this wealth has been looted. And it is looting. Spanish Historical Heritage Law states that finds of an archaeological type, whether accidental or not, must be reported to the relevant authorities, including those discovered on private property. Coins, ceramics, metal objects; whatever they may be, they belong to the state.
Sebastià Munar is a land and underwater archaeologist. He says that maritime looting has been going on for a long time and happens more than we might think. There's one obvious reason why. From the surface it is impossible to see what someone is doing underwater. It is not uncommon, therefore, to encounter boats with divers who intend to take some "souvenirs".
"It's been happening since the 1950s. In the post-war economy, people sold this stuff on the black market." This was a time when smuggling was also rife. Did laws prevent it? Clearly not. Does law prevent the plundering now? No.
He explains that it is necessary to distinguish between someone who finds a Roman amphora by chance and the "professionals" who know perfectly well what they are doing. "The problem is these mafias."
Based on far more comprehensive data gathered in Catalonia, Munar estimates the magnitude of the problem. "More than 90% of the sites will have been affected in one way or another."