There's no telling what will be unearthed when work is underway to upgrade urban water supplies; archaeologists in southern Spain are jumping for joy following the discovery of ancient tombs in the town of Osuna. The “unprecedented” and well-preserved necropolis of subterranean limestone vaults was used by Phoenicians to bury their dead 2,500 years ago.
After workers came across the ruins of the necropolis, archaeologists were quick to arrive at the scene and explore the artefacts, which apart from eight burial vaults include staircases and areas that are thought to have served as atriums.
Many would like to know why the Phoenician discovery was so important. Researchers explained that the only other such finds were made around the coast of Cadiz, an ancient city in Andalusia in southwestern Spain.
The local culture and historical heritage department has meanwhile touted “a series of remains of unquestionable historical value” that were “unprecedented in inland Andalucía”, in a nod to the necropolis.
The remarks were echoed by the lead Andalucian archaeologist, Mario Delgado, who underscored that “to find a necropolis from the Phoenician and Carthaginian era with these characteristics – with eight well tombs, atriums and staircase access – you’d have to look to Sardinia or even Carthage itself”.
“We thought we might find remains from the imperial Roman age, which would be more in keeping with the surroundings, so we were surprised when we found these structures carved from the rock – hypogea [subterranean vaults] – perfectly preserved beneath the Roman levels”, Delgado added.
And what about the re-examination of history in connection with the jaw-dropping discovery? Rosario Andujar, the mayor of Osuna, does not exclude such a possibility. She described the unearthing of the necropolis as new evidence of a Phoenician-Carthaginian presence in the area.
According to her, it “doesn’t change history – but it does change what we’d known until now about the history of Osuna, and it could be a turning point”.
The mayor remained cautiously optimistic about the further excavations, not excluding that more artefacts will be found. “The operation isn’t over yet and there’s still more to be discovered. But the team has already come up with reliable information that attests to the historical importance of all this,” she said.