The renovation works on Via Laietana continue and so do the archaeological surprises. Now, seven Roman tombs have been found with skeletal remains and another two from the Late Antiquity period, between the 6th and 7th centuries. The vestiges have been found in the Antoni Maura square, on the side of the Cathedral avenue, and are added to the other two skeletons located a few months ago from the late Roman period on the other side of the square.
“The remains from the late antique period are preserved in a fairly good state, but the Roman tombs are quite degraded because they have been cut down by the later construction of medieval walls”, points out Joan Garriga, the director of the archaeological excavation.
It was already known that in Roman Barcino burials were carried out outside the city, but further analysis of this material will allow more data to be obtained. "A tomb by itself may not give much information, but if you find many, studies of diet, genetics and population origin can be carried out," explains Laia Macià, from the Servei d'Arqueologia de Barcelona.
The skeletal remains will be transferred to the warehouse that the Barcelona Institute of Culture has in the Zona Franca for study. When the archaeological excavation is finished, the tombs will be covered again with a mesh to preserve them and identify the place where they were. Subsequently, work will continue in this area of Via Laietana where a flower bed will be built to plant trees.
