Remains of a dozen people from the post-war period have been found in the Salobreña cemetery

The excavation work has led to the recovery of the remains of 12 people: eleven children and one young person aged around18 or 19. In addition, a group of children’s remains that had been disturbed has been found, but these could not be attributed to any of those individuals.

Antonio Rodríguez, the councillor for democratic memory, presented the conclusions and pointed out that a distinction should be made between the number of individuals identified by archaeologists and the total number of bone fragments and deposits that have been observed.

The technical report states that the characteristics of these deposits suggest they form part of the cemetery’s ordinary burial practices. According to the document, there is insufficient evidence to link them to the repressive episodes under investigation or to a common cause of death.

For this reason, the council stresseed the need to be careful with the exact figures, the chronology and the historical interpretation, and to distinguish between established scientific findings and hypotheses that still require further research.

The excavations focused on verifying one of the locations which, according to previous research, might correspond to grave three. This is situated in the central aisle of the cemetery, just before reaching the cross at the entrance.

Archaeologist César Fuentetaja, from the firm Almena Arqueología, explained that the approach had to be adapted to the conditions of the site. The original plan was to excavate around 33 square metres around the central cross, but in the end it was decided to focus on the central aisle.

This change made it possible to increase the planned area by 126 per cent, with a team of just two people and in barely two weeks. Furthermore, the work has made it possible to rule out certain areas, so that in future campaigns resources are not wasted on sites where there is no evidence of burials.

During the excavation, several cuts in the ground were uncovered which archaeologists have identified as possible ditches or pits. Upon removing one of these layers, the archaeologists discovered a child’s burial which caught their attention for two reasons: it was situated in a thoroughfare and the position of the body was unusual.

“He was buried in a coffin and with all the love in the world,” explained Fuentetaja, who emphasised that this position is not typical of a burial site located by a track. The archaeologist noted that this could be a case linked to the funerary practices of the time, although he insisted that the findings would need to be studied before a definitive interpretation could be made.

The historian José Pérez, who has acted as an adviser throughout the process, explained that, according to the documentation in his possession, the remains found are believed to date from after 1940. In principle, they are not thought to be linked to the Civil War or Franco’s repression.

Pérez pointed out that these deaths may have been linked to the harsh conditions of those years, characterised by food shortages and a lack of medical care. As for the young man whose remains were found, the historian believes he could be one of the eight people identified in the documents who would fit the dates and age range.

The results of the campaign will help to guide future work. The evidence gathered suggests that the pit mentioned in previous investigations may extend to the left of the area that has been excavated.

This possibility would make it possible to extend the search to other areas of the cemetery where victims of the Civil War are suspected to be buried. The experts pointed out that there are two specific areas where victims of reprisals might be found, and they are confident they will be able to investigate them if the campaign goes ahead.

Councillor Rodríguez said that the findings cannot be linked to the victims who were being sought until there is evidence to support this. He explained that a new phase of analysis of the data and the recovered remains is now beginning, with a view to reaching definitive scientific conclusions.

Rodríguez said that this work should be carried out free from political constraints and with the sole aim of establishing the facts and honouring the victims. He also emphasised the human aspect of the work and called for respect for the remains and for the families who are waiting for answers. “We are not talking about bones; we are talking about people,” he said.

Understanding, respect and dignity

The councillor wished to make it clear that: “The fact that we have not located the remains of the victims we were searching for in the area examined does not mean that the investigation is over, nor that we can rule out their presence in other parts of the cemetery. This first phase has enabled us to test a hypothesis, gather new data and establish a more solid scientific basis on which to continue our work.”

“Recovering our democratic memory is not about reopening old wounds, but about helping to heal them through understanding, respect and dignity. Behind every name lies a personal and family history that deserves to be known. It is not about confronting anyone, but about fulfilling our responsibility as a democratic society,” he said.

The project has received 30,000 euros in state funding earmarked for the restoration of democratic memory, as part of the 6th plan for the restoration of democratic memory 2025–2026. The funding comes from the central government, via the ministry of territorial policy and democratic memory, and is channelled through the Spanish federation of municipalities and provinces (FEMP).