An employment workshop in Cártama working on locating mass Civil War graves has uncovered a medieval cemetery dating back to the XIII to XV centuries.
It was known that there was a nineteenth century cemetery on the outskirts of the town and such sites were frequently used as mass graves during the Civil War. However, the archaeologists discovered that the bodies were laid out individually and conformed to Islamic burial procedures.
As the bodies do not relate to the Civil War, the Guardia Civil ordered the cessation of work at the site and informed the Department of Education, Culture and Sport of the Junta de Andalucía of the find. It will now be up to the Junta de Andalucia to authorise a continuation of work.
The Mayor of Cártama believes the discovery is of great historical importance.