A total of 26 burials from a medieval necropolis have been located in the courtyard of a private property on Portal Nou street, in Girona's Barri Vell. The discovery occurred during the construction of a swimming pool in the garden of the house, which forced the work to be stopped and an emergency archaeological intervention to be activated
Excavation in the historic heart of Girona
The company Nord-est Arqueologia has directed the excavation tasks, which have lasted for approximately a month and a half. The archaeologists have identified simple and collective tombs, as well as slabs, with human remains of adults and children. According to the first assessment, the necropolis could be situated in a period prior to the 10th century, although the definitive dating will depend on the results of the carbon 14 test
The existence of this funerary area was not documented until now. The property, which had already collaborated in previous interventions during the rehabilitation of the building, has facilitated access and is obliged to communicate any discovery of ancient remains. In a previous operation in the same house, Nord-est Arqueologia located other remains and ancient walls
Completion of works and archaeological context
The excavations in the courtyard have already been completed and, for the moment, there are no plans to explore other areas of the garden. The pool construction remains halted until the conclusion of the archaeological works.
Girona's Barri Vell has a history of similar findings. The oldest documented funerary area in the historic center corresponds to the Roman sarcophagi in the church of Sant Feliu, dated between the 3rd and 4th centuries, with funerary evidence from the 2nd century. In 2016, a medieval necropolis was found in the old Hospital de Capellanes, next to Sant Pere Galligants, where eight bodies were discovered buried according to Islamic ritual
A study published this year on the necropolis of the Hospital de Capellanes has provided the first genetic evidence of Islamic migration to Catalonia. The current finding on Portal Nou street expands the map of medieval funerary presence in the old town of Girona, pending definitive dating results.