Cuyacabras necropolis

The necropolis of Cuyacabras , which is known from sources to correspond to the ancient village of Villa Godomar , was excavated in 1969–1971 by Alberto del Castillo y Yurrita (1899–1976), one of the fathers of Spanish medieval archeology. It is located about 5 km east of the village of Quintanar de la Sierra in the Sierra de la Demanda , southeast of Burgos in the province of Burgos in northern Spain .

The necropolis

The approx. 65 × 35 m large necropolis from the 9th to 13th centuries with 183 documented graves is an extensive cemetery that was located near a church. The burials that did not reveal any human remains are in the core of the necropolis, which is dated between the 9th century and the first half of the 11th century. Most are anthropomorphic rock graves ( called Tumba Olèrdolana in Spanish ), but there are also box- shaped graves and side niche graves. The cemetery should have a larger number of burials, which correspond to the later phases of use, but which were not found. In spite of this fact, the surviving remains form the largest necropolis of this type documented on the upper Arlanza River. The rock tombs correspond to three basic types:

Variants of the "bathtub" type (54%),
anthropomorphic type (37%)
Type of side niches (7%).

Cuyacabras necropolis
The necropolis
Kirchengrund
Anthropomorphic rock grave
Children's grave
Side niche graves

Among the anthropomorphic graves, the forms with rounded head arches predominate, while the "bathtubs" are elliptical in shape. While the bathtub shapes and the anthropomorphic type seem to have a relative balance among adults, the preferred type for infant burials is the elliptical "bathtub". As with today's cemeteries, there is a tendency to place the children's graves near the religious building, although this does not seem to have been the sole option. With a few exceptions, the graves, which are preferably closed with monolithic ceiling panels, face west.

church

The remains of the building are not preserved, but outlines can still be seen on the rock, showing that the church had a simple rectangular plan. To reach the building, a staircase with eight steps has been carved into the natural rock.

Hermit Chapel

In the immediate vicinity are the remains of the Hermitorio de San Andrés hermit chapel , the altar stone of which contains a horseshoe arch with a cross - a clear reference to the art of the Mozarabs who came here from the south of the Iberian Peninsula .

Rock graves near the hamlet of Comunero de Revenga

place

The remains of the place, which was built of wood and earth and therefore almost disappeared in the course of the last centuries, are a good example of the high medieval villages in the area. Since agriculture was difficult to do in this area, the inhabitants of the villages devoted themselves mainly to livestock and the use of the forests and their resources.