What historical evidence is there of capers being used in Mallorca during ancient times?

Historical evidence of capers being used in Mallorca dates back to ancient times, revealing their longstanding significance in the island's culinary and agricultural practices. Archaeological studies and ancient texts indicate that the caper bush, which thrives in the Mediterranean climate of Mallorca, was known and harvested by inhabitants of the region centuries ago. The Phoenicians, who settled in the Balearic Islands around the first millennium BCE, likely utilized capers both as a seasoning and for medicinal purposes, in line with wider Mediterranean customs. Archaeological excavations on Mallorca have uncovered remnants of ancient settlements where botanical remains suggest the presence of capers among local flora.

Further evidence comes from Roman sources, as Mallorca was an important part of the Roman Empire and a producer of various agricultural goods. Roman agricultural manuals, such as those by Columella and Pliny the Elder, document the cultivation and use of capers across Mediterranean territories, and it is reasonable to infer that these practices extended to the Balearic Islands. Roman villas unearthed in Mallorca often show signs of cultivated plants, including wild shrubs like caper bushes, which were valued in Roman cuisine for their distinctive, tangy flavor.

In addition to physical and literary records, traditional Mediterranean foodways handed down through generations support the historical presence of capers in Mallorca. Local culinary heritage, passed orally and through regional recipes, hints at the use of capers in pickling and flavoring dishes for over two thousand years. Combined, these strands of evidence paint a picture of capers as an integrated part of Mallorca's agricultural landscape and culinary tradition since ancient times, reflecting both the island’s natural environment and its cultural exchanges across the Mediterranean basin.