Emily Chan
In medieval Spain, a Christian community once lived in artificial caves that were carved into a rocky outcrop. It is just one of several cave communities from the medieval period known to have inhabited the Iberian Peninsula, which includes Spain and Portugal.
For a long time, archaeologists have debated why these groups chose to live in caves rather than village dwellings. A new study has investigated the possible reasons, shedding light on the ancestry, relationships, and diseases within the community.
The settlement existed between the middle of the sixth century to the 11th century A.D. After the western Roman Empire fell in A.D. 476, the Iberian Peninsula came under the rule of the Visigoths, who originated from northern Europe.
When Muslim armies invaded from North Africa in A.D. 711, the Visigothic kingdom collapsed. As a result, a territory called Al-Andalus was established. At its greatest extent, it stretched across most of Iberia. However, Christian kingdoms still existed in the north and eventually took back some territory.
The archaeological site of Las Gobas contained one of the cave-dwelling communities that lived during this period. It was located in Burgos province in northern Spain near the village of Laño. The site features a cemetery that was used consistently between the seventh to the 11th century.
It was connected to a church that was built within the cave complex. But, by the 10th century, the cave-dwellers had relocated to a more typical rural village, even though the church and cemetery in the cave remained in use until the 11th century.
Excavations uncovered the remains of 41 people at the cemetery. A genetic analysis was conducted on 39 of them, and 33 provided enough DNA to determine their genders. In total, there were 22 males and 11 females. Around 28 sets of remains provided sufficient DNA to find out more information about their backgrounds.
The inhabitants were mostly of local Iberian ancestry. North African populations had limited genetic influence in northern Iberia during the Middle Ages despite their proximity. After the Muslim conquest, some people had higher North African ancestry.
Two of the skeletons dating back to the early years of the settlement showed signs of violence. Their injuries were likely from sword blows to the head. The two individuals were closely related and came from a time before the Muslim conquest. One of them even survived a wound that cut through the skull.
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