Fresh rosemary and myrtle still lay beside the wooden coffin when archaeologists opened a medieval queen’s tomb in Barcelona. The plant remains, found alongside fragments of silk threaded with metal, marked the final rites of Queen Elisenda of Montcada nearly 700 years ago.
A research project at the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes has identified her skeletal remains along with those of 24 other people buried in eight graves from the monastery’s earliest years. The work, launched to mark the monastery’s 700th anniversary, brought together specialists in archaeology, bone analysis, restoration, plant remains, and genetics. The study was the first large‑scale investigation of the founding burials at the site, according to the Culture Institute of Barcelona.
After opening the tombs and documenting what lay inside, the team analyzed the human remains and burial objects. They then restored and reburied everything. The results, announced on May 28, have begun to change what historians thought they knew about the monastery’s first generations of residents.
A Queen Buried With Simple Cloth and Funeral Plants
Queen Elisenda of Montcada founded the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes in 1327, shortly before her husband, King James II of Aragon, died. She moved into the community the following year and lived there for nearly four decades. She held considerable power and influence over the Poor Clare order of nuns without ever formally taking religious vows. She died in 1364.
Inside her tomb, researchers found her remains in a medieval wooden coffin that sat inside a larger burial structure. Historical records had described an arrangement that reflected both her royal position and her religious life.
Analysis of her skeleton shows Elisenda was about 70 years old at the time of her death. Her bones have signs of osteoarthritis, a common joint condition linked to aging. The queen appears to have been buried in simple clothing tied to monastic traditions. Even so, researchers recovered fragments of silk decorated with metallic thread. They also identified rosemary and myrtle among the plant remains in the tomb, plants that likely formed part of the funerary rites performed at her burial.
The new research also contradicts earlier theories about the layout of the queen’s tomb. Experts had long believed that Elisenda’s sarcophagus straddled a wall between the church’s presbytery and the cloister. “But archaeology has debunked the myth,” wrote Sílvia Marimon for the Catalan newspaper Ara. In reality, the tomb consists of two back‑to‑back sections separated by a small wall.
The Wrong People in the Wrong Graves
Nearby graves held surprises. A tomb long believed to belong to the knight Artau de Foces contained no adult male remains. Instead, researchers identified two women and three children. One woman still had a preserved ponytail attached to her skull, an uncommon survival after nearly seven centuries.
Another burial, traditionally attributed to Francesca Saportella, the monastery’s second abbess and Elisenda’s niece, held at least nine individuals buried there at different times. Evidence shows the tomb was reopened and reused multiple times. Among the remains, archaeologists recovered four male skulls bearing stab wounds.
The team also found the mummified torso of a woman whose fetus remained in the birth canal. The fetus was estimated to be between 20 and 23 weeks old. Researchers are now studying documents from the same tomb. Conservators found parchment fragments and sheets of written material, including musical notation.
The team also examined the tomb of Sobirana Olzet, the monastery’s first abbess. Her remains matched historical records for age and identity. The study identified a facial injury caused by a sharp object shortly before or around the time of her death. Specialists continue to investigate the circumstances behind the wound.
A Community of High‑Status Women and Violent Secrets
The wider analysis shows a community ruled largely by high‑status women, many of whom lived to relatively advanced ages for the 14th century. Bone evidence revealed osteoarthritis, traumatic injuries, and signs of possible metabolic disorders. The remains reveal details about health, daily life, and living conditions inside a wealthy religious house.
Burial customs varied widely across the site. Some bodies were wrapped in textile bundles or funerary sacks, while others lay directly inside tomb chambers. Researchers documented traces of candles, cords, floral offerings, and aromatic plants. More than 200 archaeobotanical samples allowed them to reconstruct rituals tied to death and remembrance.
Tombs around Elisenda’s circle contained men who had been stabbed to death, pointing to unsolved violence within the monastic world. Meanwhile, genetic research has already begun, though the work remains early. Scientists are extracting DNA from bones and teeth to confirm identities, map family ties, trace geographic origins, and search for signs of ancient diseases.
Additional radiocarbon dating, textile studies, and material analyses will take place in the coming months, according to the research team.
