Esqueletos inhumados en cementerios excavados en roca: el caso de Tejuela/Villanueva de Soportilla (Burgos)

Abstract

This paper provides an innovative contribution to the study of rock cemeteries from an anthropological perspective. One hundred and nine tombs, which conserve bone remains, are analyzed from the Tejuela/ Villanueva de Soportilla cemetery which was first excavated by Alberto del Castillo and later on by Aratikos Arqueólogos. There is no clear relationship between types of tombs and sex, although bathtub tombs are more common among women. There is no relationship with age except for very young children, who are mostly buried in tombs of the same type. Although the length of the tombs is correlated with the stature of the individuals, the age or sex of the subject who is buried in an empty tomb cannot be established with precision. Absolute dating obtained from the skeletons are included, providing dates between the last third of the eighth century and the beginning of the eleventh century.