Cementerios tardoantiguos de Valencia: arqueología y antropología (a la memoria de Pere de Palol)

Abstract

Located in the urban center, the cemeteries of the Episcopal group of Valencia were originated in the beginning from two circumstances, on one hand, to a hierarchic process of burials, on the other, to the attraction of two martyrial sites: the tomb of Saint Vincent and the place where he was tortured until his death. Two necropolis of different categories arose around both. In any case, all people buried in this area belonged to the diverse status of the city high class. Most of the people would continue to be buried in the cemeteries out of the city. Paradoxically enough, they are the less known necropolis because of archaeological dynamics. Inside the Episcopal center, the anthropologic characteristics among the population buried had changed. In fact, the Mediterranean type was replaced by an other one with Northern features. Furthermore, the V-VI centuries tombs and other ones of the VII century are clearly differentiated by their typological and stratigraphic aspects.