With this denomination they are known from long time ago the towers with form of frustum of cone of the Talayotic age, be worth the redundancy, distributed by the whole surface of the island of Minorca, although, it is necessary to clarify it, they are also known in Majorca and there are also with square plan.

In fact, the hypotheses about their function, that has been related in occasions with some of their constructive aspects, have given place to tend, however, in the last times, to establish a distinction between two groups of monuments, between those that would have a properly defensive utility and, in occasions, of room, and those that would probably present a functionality related with the cult, characterized these last ones for their external structure with a helical or in zigzag ramp that gives them a stepped aspect.

In spite of it has given name to an entire culture, this monument type has been very little studied and, therefore, it is known very badly. Everything leads to think, however, that the first exemplars date of the Talayotic Ia (1400-1150 B.C.)