A centuries-old monastery in Barcelona is rewriting part of its own history after archaeologists opened tombs that had gone largely unquestioned for generations, and one of the biggest surprises was a grave long believed to hold Artau de Foces that contained no male remains at all.
Researchers examining eight 14th-century tombs at the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes found evidence that casts doubt on several traditional identifications tied to the site's earliest burials. The investigation began in 2024 ahead of the monastery's 700th anniversary, and specialists have so far examined the remains of 25 people buried during the institution's earliest years.
As reported by Heritage Daily, in the tomb usually linked to Artau de Foces, archaeologists found the remains of two women and three children, not a man. Another tomb associated with Francesca Saportella held at least nine people, indicating it had been reopened and reused over an extended period.
The team also studied the tomb of Queen Elisenda de Montcada. Her remains were recovered from a medieval wooden box; her skeleton suggests she died at around age 70, and fragments of silk cloth woven with metallic thread survived from her funeral.
The excavations also revealed a wide range of funerary practices. Some of the dead were wrapped in textiles before burial, while others were laid directly into the tombs. Finds including candles, cords, and traces of plants, flowers, and aromatic species point to rituals that were both symbolic and deeply personal.
Many of the skeletons showed arthritis, injuries, and other medical problems, offering evidence of aging, illness, and care in medieval Barcelona.
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The work is still ongoing, and researchers are now turning to laboratory testing to fill in gaps left by written history. DNA and tooth samples are being taken in an effort to identify some of the people buried there and look for possible family relationships among them. Those results could help explain why women and children were placed in tombs once thought to belong to specific named individuals.
Barcelona City Council said scientists are also planning further analysis, including radiocarbon dating in 2027. That should help clarify when the burials took place and whether some tombs were reused across different generations, as the Francesca Saportella burial appears to suggest.
As the monastery approaches its 700th anniversary, the research suggests its tombs still have more to reveal. The story of who was buried there — and why — is still unfolding.
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