The skeletal remains of one of Europe’s most powerful rulers have been unearthed at a 14th century monastery in Spain.
Queen Elisenda of Montcada was an imposing figure due to her impressive lineage, vast royal wealth and political alliances.
After her death she was buried in a magnificent double–sided tomb at the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes in Barcelona.
Now, 700 years later, her remains have been uncovered for the first time.
When archaeologists, from the Culture Institute of Barcelona, opened her tomb, they found a box of her bones inside.
Analysis revealed she was about 70 years old when she died and likely had osteoarthritis.
Although she was buried in a plain religious habit, there were traces of gold–embroidered silk textile in the tomb as well as aromatic herbs.
‘The structure of the tomb, its architectural solution and associated iconography make it a key monument for understanding the funerary practices of the high nobility and the representation of female power in 14th century Catalonia,’ the team wrote in a statement.
One side of Queen Elisenda’s tomb is visible from the church. There you can see her dressed as a queen, with the coat of arms of the crown of Aragon
When archaeologists, from the Culture Institute of Barcelona, opened her tomb, they found a box of her bones inside
Elisenda of Montcada was 30 years old when she became the fourth wife of 55–year–old James II.
James II, also called James the Just, was the king of Aragon and Valencia in what is now east Spain from 1291 until his death in 1327.
When her husband became ill towards the end of his life, Elisenda founded a monastery for a group of Catholic nuns.
After his death, she lived in a small palace next to the monastery until she died in 1364.
To commemorate the 700th anniversary of the founding of the monastery, researchers opened eight historic graves of people buried there – including Queen Elisenda’s.
They found 25 skeletons in total, with one grave containing the bones of nine individuals.
These tombs, which would have held the remains of Elisenda’s closest circle of companions, included men who had been stabbed to death and a woman who died halfway through pregnancy.
The long ponytail of one woman was preserved and still attached to her skull. Meanwhile some papers and parchment were recovered from another tomb, including sheet music.
Analysis revealed Queen Elisdenda was about 70 years old when she died and likely had osteoarthritis
Before opening up the box researchers scanned it to reveal the contents (left). Although she was buried in a plain religious habit, there were traces of gold–embroidered silk textile in the tomb as well as aromatic herbs (right)
The team plans to use DNA from bone and tooth samples to confirm the identities of the skeletons in the tombs and to find out if there were any family relationships among them.
‘The challenge for the next year will be to transform these first findings into a complete historical interpretation that allows us to better understand not only who these people were, but also how they lived, how they died and how they were remembered,’ the team added.
Double–sided tombs, in which a single grave can be accessed from two different sides, are exceptionally rare in archaeology.
One side of Queen Elisenda’s tomb is visible from the church. There you can see her dressed as a queen, with the coat of arms of the crown of Aragon.
She wears the royal ring and is accompanied by two puppies at her feet, symbolising fidelity.
The other side, visible from the cloister, depicts her dressed as a nun – with no sign of her queenly power.
The study also revealed that the queen’s monument is composed of two separate burial chambers divided by a wall rather than one sarcophagus passing through the church wall, as previously believed.
‘This arrangement allows a dual representation of the queen: as a sovereign on the church side and as a penitent on the cloister side,’ the researchers said.
The other side of Elisenda’s tomb, visible from the cloister, depicts her dressed as a nun – with no sign of her queenly power (left). A separate tomb contained the head of another woman, whose long ponytail was preserved and still attached to her skull (right)
Earlier this year experts uncovered a rare marble artefact that could rewrite the history of baptism.
Archaeologists have been excavating the remains of a cathedral in the ancient city of Hippos in Israel, near the Sea of Galilee.
According to the gospels, Jesus’ earthly ministry centred around this area, making it a significant site in the history of Christianity.
And it is here that the team came across an unusual object – a unique marble item featuring three hemispheric cavities which they believe used to hold three different oils.
Traditionally, during baptisms, a person is anointed with two oils – one used before the water baptism and a different one used after.
But the new discovery indicates people used to be anointed with oils three times – and it could force historians to rethink the history of the practice.
