ABSTRACT
The Principality of Andorra is a microstate with an area of 468 sq km and a population of 84,609 (2009 census), and hence a density of 180 inhabitants per sq km. This figure is the result of a population increase that began in the mid-20th century, mostly due to immigration. The population in the 13th and 14th centuries has been estimated at between 1,700 and 2,300 inhabitants (Gual and Puig 2005; Ros 2005), growing to about 5,500 in the 19th century. In absolute terms, the number of excavated burials is quite low. However, considering the
dimensions of the country, the volume of the population and the number of already excavated archaeological sites, the specific weight of such findings is quite significant. In fact, we only need to compare Andorra with nearby areas on both sides of the Pyrenees, Catalan and French, to see that the Principality occupies an outstanding position in terms of the number of archaeological interventions and the amount of information obtained about burials and human remains. Since the very beginning of archaeological research in the Principality of Andorra (see note 2),
the excavation of human remains has been constant enough to state that burials have been the most excavated archaeological feature in the country. A total of 13 different sites have revealed burials of various types and periods. Some human remains of unknown origin correspond to the recovery of archaeological materials during town-planning or building works in the early years of operation of the National Artistic Heritage (Patrimoni Artístic Nacional). Many of these human remains of unknown origin or archaeological context are kept in the warehouses of the Cultural Heritage of Andorra (Patrimoni Cultural d’Andorra or PCA). The archaeological sites where burials have been found are varied in chronological terms
(Table 2.1). There is a documented Neolithic cist (Yáñez et al. 2002), three Middle Neolithic cists (Llovera 1986), three Roman burials (two of them located inside a cave and in the same grave) (Guilaine and Martzluff 1995; Fortó and Maese 2008) and ten cemeteries from the mediaeval and post-mediaeval periods. From a quantitative point of view, taking into account the number of sites as well as the number of skeletons, mediaeval and post-mediaeval cemeteries are the most prominent, with a total of eight sites and about 650 individuals that have been excavated. These comprise individuals from the sixth to the 19th centuries AD, from five tombs (site
T ab le 2. 1 A rc ha eo lo gi ca l sit es
in A nd or ra
yi el di ng
an th ro po lo gi ca l re m ai ns
Si te
A nt hr op ol og ica l
stu dy
D N A
stu dy
R ad io ca rb on
da tin g
E ar ly
N eo lit hi c
M id dl e
N eo lit hi c
R om
an Pe rio d
E ar ly
M id dl e
A ge s
L at e M id dl e
A ge s
M od er n
A ge
M in im um
nu m be r
of in di vi du al s
Se gu de t
X X
X 1
Fe ix a de l M or o
X X
X 3
B al m a de
la M ar gi ne da
X 2
C am
p V er m el l
X X
X X
5 C am
p de l Pe ro t
X X
X 42
R oc
d’ E nc la r
X X
X 50
L’ A nt ui x
X X
16 Sa nt
Ja um
e d’ E ng or da ny
X X
X 65
Sa nt a E ul àl ia d’ E nc am
p X
X X
X 17 0
Sa nt ua ri de
M er itx
el l
X X
X 34
Sa nt
Jo an
de C as el le s
X X
X 20 4
Sa nt
M ar tí de
N ag ol
X 6
H or t de
l’E sg lé sia
X X
X 43
of Camp Vermell) to 204 tombs (site of Sant Joan de Caselles). The fact that these necropoli were generally associated with churches is the main reason why this type of site has been the most frequently excavated, since much refurbishing works are undertaken on these buildings. Unfortunately, anthropological studies have not been able to keep up with the pace of
excavation, so a significant number of the human remains have not yet been studied. In the early years of the PCA’s operation, Dr Elisenda Vives was the palaeoanthropologist who carried out several studies and took part in excavations. Her work included the skeletal material from La Feixa del Moro (Llovera 1986), Santa Eulàlia d’Encamp (Juan et al. 1989), Sant Martí de Nagol (Vives 1990), La Balma de la Margineda (Guilaine and Martzluff 1995) and El Roc d’Enclar (Llovera et al. 1997). Vives’s publications also include a study about Catalonian mediaeval populations with information on Andorra, specifically the sites of Sant Martí de Nagol and El Roc d’Enclar (Vives 1990). After the departure of Dr Vives and in the subsequent absence of a physical anthropologist,
the PCA has asked institutions or scientific groups from Catalonia to undertake the anthropological study of the human remains. These include anthropological studies from the sites of l’Antuix-Sant Jaume d’Engordany (Bosch 1993), El Camp del Perot (Agustí and Mestre 2001), Segudet (Malgosa et al. 2001), l’Hort de l’Església (Malgosa 2009) and El Camp del Vermell (Prats-Muñoz and Malgosa 2008). In fact, the contacts between PCA and the Biological Anthropology Unit of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona have strengthened anthropological research, especially of Andorran mediaeval populations and, focusing on previous works, the study of the human remains kept in the warehouses of the PCA, a recently excavated site called El Camp del Colomer de Juberri, radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis.
