Alhambra Necropolis

The Visigothic necropolis of Alhambra It is located on the hillside on which the population is based, in an environment that perfectly summarizes the extraordinary historical continuity of this enclave in the Campo de Montiel.

Very close to the urban center and linked to the area where they took place occupations from Iberian and Roman times to the Middle Ages, It constitutes one of the most important testimonies of the town's late antique past. Its location at the foot of the hill allows us to understand how the settlement of Alhambra was not limited to its current historic center, but extended across an archaeological landscape of great richness and temporal depth.

The discovery of this necropolis confirmed the The importance of the Alhambra also in Visigothic times. In 1956, a [unclear - possibly "a structure" or "a natural feature"] was documented at the foot of the hill. thirty graves of different types, organized in ten rows with a fairly regular layout, excavated into the characteristic sandstone rock of the area.

Subsequently, the burial site was excavated in three archaeological interventions, carried out in 1989, 1994 and 1997, This allowed for progress in the study of its chronology, grave goods, and burial practices. Among the associated materials, notable finds include beads with jet stones and a funerary stele with a female figure, crudely carved from limestone, now held in the collections of the National Archaeological Museum. Overall, the documentation indicates the existence of approximately two hundred graves, which gives an idea of the size of the cemetery.

The necropolis presents features of great interest for understanding the funerary practices of the time. With one exception, all The tombs were arranged in a west-east direction., with the feet facing east.

Although many burials were opened and looted, the complex remains an essential reference for Understanding the transition between the Roman world and the High Middle Ages in the Alhambra.