In the castle shadow rest those of Mós: the funerary practices and the dead from the Medieval necropolis of Mós (Torre de Moncorvo, Bragança, Portugal)

Abstract

The village of Mós was probably founded between the end of the 9th century and the beginning of the 10th. Integrated within the process of Christian reconquest, Mós was part of the set of castles and walled sites that benefited from a strategic position on the defensive line of the Douro River. During the construction of a stone wall to support the churchyard of Santa Maria de Mós church, thirty-nine rock graves were identified, which may be dated from the foundation period of the site. Only 25 graves were excavated allowing to recovered 15 individuals in primary position, five ossuary and a small group of dispersed bones. The aim of this article is to present data from funerary anthropology and the results of the paleobiological analysis of the exhumed individuals. This study is part of a broader interdisciplinary research project, which will provide greater depth of knowledge on the early medieval populations from the northeast of Trás-os-Montes (Portugal).