Church Dig Unearths Tombs, Artifacts

Archaeologists excavating ruins of a 10th-century church in northeast Spain have found 18 tombs, many containing well-preserved human remains, officials said Wednesday.

“The tombs are not lined up in rows like today’s cemeteries, but are in different places around the church,” said Ester Blanas, a cultural official in Castellar del Valles, 20 miles north of Barcelona.

She said the skeletons were found more or less intact.

Government-funded archaeologists have been unearthing artifacts in wooded areas outside the town since 1995. These include the site of the church, which was built around 910 A.D. and reconstructed twice, most recently in the 16th century.

Blanas said the town hopes to build a museum with the artifacts. “With what has been found, one can give a lecture on the evolution of this building from 910 to the 16th century,” she said.

The archaeologists also found coins and ceramic grain containers.