Bioarchaeology and burial practices at Capela de Nossa Senhora da Victória (Rio Maior, Portugal)

Abstract

A team of archaeologists discovered numerous human remains during three seasons of excavations and architectural analysis at Capela de Nossa Senhora da Victória (Our Lady of Victory Chapel) in Rio Maior, Portugal between 1987 and 1989. The earliest excavation in 1987-88 occurred both inside of the standing chapel and outside along the south wall. These initial excavations, directed by Oliveira, Martins, and Pereira, uncovered the foundations of a medieval manor house and a few bones identified as human remains (Oliveira et al., 1989). As Figure 1 illustrates, in 1989 more extensive excavations in front of the Chapel uncovered a small cemetery containing at least seven burials and an ossuary (Oliveira et al., 1990). This report focuses on the osteological analysis of skeletal remains recovered from the excavations at Capela de Nossa Senhora da Victória.