The Walls of a 15th-Century Church Collapsed—and Out Fell 12 Hidden Skeletons

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As you read this story, you will learn the following:

Collapsed walls of a 15th-century Portuguese church have exposed the skeletons of at least a dozen people, sparking an archaeological investigation into centuries-old tombs.
Archaeologists have discovered remains from the 16th to 19th centuries, indicating that the cemetery served as a burial ground for multiple generations.
Experts are analyzing the skeletons to reveal details about their age, gender and health, as well as exploring the possibility of more hidden graves at the site.

When the walls of a 15th-century Portuguese church collapsed in bad weather, they revealed not just dust and debris, but also at least 12 skeletons hidden within the walls.

The ancient Igreja Matriz de Portimao (translated as Portimao Main Church) is located on the highest point of the city of Portimao, close to the famous Praia da Rocha beach. It was probably one of the most impressive buildings in the area when it was built, but time passed and eventually the walls collapsed. When crews arrived to assess the damage, they encountered an unexpected archaeological situation. “Work to replace the wall ended up exposing parts of the bones and at that time, an archaeological team was called in to study the finds,” a source from Portimão city council told reporters. lusa news agency.

Ancient churches often doubled as cemeteries, and questions are now being raised about whether a larger cemetery could be built on the site, especially since the walls where the bones are buried surround the courtyard. “It is normal to find bones at construction sites near churches,” the source said, “as these areas were previously used as burial grounds.”

Preliminary analysis suggests the presence of at least 12 bodies, but the archaeological team has not ruled out the possibility of more discoveries. A translated statement from the city said the remains were from 16 victims.^th to 19^th Over the centuries, the team has prepared to find more skeletons as they rebuild the city walls.

Rita Dias, an archaeologist and project manager at ERA Arqueologia (an on-site archaeological company), tells us south information Due to “several overlapping chronologies” at the site, it is likely that the same cemetery was used multiple times, spanning multiple centuries.

Staff will need to analyze the bones to better understand their gender, age and pathology. “No remains have been found so far that would allow us to date these tombs more accurately,” said Vera Teixeira de Freitas, an archaeologist at the Portimão Museum. south information. “However, this type of trace would be expected in this area as it is common for people to be buried in and around churches.”

Dias believes burials in cemeteries ended around the 1860s, when sanitation issues led to cemeteries being moved to the outskirts of the city. City history bears this out, with the city building a new cemetery in 1863.

Now all that’s left is to wonder what’s in the rest of the wall.