Researchers in Barcelona have uncovered a startling mystery while excavating centuries-old royal tombs at the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes.
The nearly 700‑year‑old Gothic monastery, founded in 1326 by Queen Elisenda of Montcada, has become the focus of a three‑year multidisciplinary investigation that coincided with its 700th anniversary.
Early findings reveal that the identities historically assigned to many tombs do not match the remains discovered within them.
In the burial chamber once attributed to Artau de Foces, no male skeleton was found. Instead, archaeologists uncovered five individuals, including two adult women and three children.
The excavation uncovered a total of 25 people in eight tombs and more than 200 archaeological samples, ranging from funerary offerings to preserved plant material.
The tomb of Francesca Saportella, the monastery’s second abbess, contained nine individuals from later periods, some bearing edge‑weapon wounds, and a mummified female trunk with fetal remains. The abbess herself is not among the identified remains.
Queen Elisenda’s own burial was preserved in a medieval wooden box that remains in excellent condition. Her remains were wrapped in modest clothing and showed signs of old age.
Archaeobotanical analysis identified plants used for body preparation, such as rosemary, and floral offerings with symbolic meanings, while some tombs yielded everyday objects from the period.
Preliminary DNA testing has recovered about six percent of Queen Elisenda’s genome, allowing early estimates of her pigmentation traits. Further genetic analysis is planned through 2027.
The research has been conducted with the approval of the monastery’s community of nuns and is expected to provide significant insights into 14th‑century burial practices and medieval Catalan society.
