article_detail

Medieval graves have been discovered beneath Seville’s expanding metro network, with around 40 burial pits unearthed during works on Line 3 along Avenida Doctor Fedriani in the Macarena district. The tombs, spread over roughly 50 metres of the route, are thought to date from the medieval Andalusian period based on the way the bodies were laid out and the burial techniques observed.

 

Despite the surprise find, the regional authorities are making it clear that the project will not grind to a halt. The Director General of Transport Infrastructure, Eduardo Gutiérrez, has confirmed that “the discovery of archaeological remains does not affect the pace of work” and insisted that “the construction work can be compatible with the excavations.” The burial area represents less than five percent of this section of Line 3, so the rest of Avenida Doctor Fedriani remains under “normal” construction while specialists focus on the grave zone.

 

From the outset, the Line 3 North works have included a permanent archaeological team to monitor every excavation trench. This is the first full archaeological site to emerge on the project, and two archaeology teams are now working on the documented graves, supported by physical anthropology experts who are already analysing the first skeletal remains on site. Once the study is complete, the team will prepare a technical report for the Regional Ministry of Culture, which will decide on the final treatment and destination of the remains in line with heritage regulations.

 

Gutiérrez notes that the pieces are “still pending cataloguing”, and stresses that all decisions will be taken “with the precautions imposed by the Ministry of Culture, with whom we are in constant communication.”

 

The regional government has an agreement between the Minister of Development and the Minister of Culture, reinforced in June 2025, specifically designed to balance out big projects like the metro with heritage protection and smooth out the handling of archaeological finds like these ancient graves.