An archaeological excavation at Castelldefels Castle has uncovered a tomb from the Roman era, dated between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The find may correspond to a contemporary of Gai Trocina Synecdémo and Valèria Haliné.
An archaeological excavation at Castelldefels Castle has revealed a Roman-era tomb, dated between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The burial, located at the highest point of the hill, belongs to an adult whose identity is still unknown.
The tomb did not contain any funerary goods and was oriented towards the east, in the direction of the sunrise. This orientation could indicate that the person followed some form of solar belief of Eastern origin, different from traditional Roman religion, although further studies will need to confirm this hypothesis.
The find is particularly significant because it may be chronologically contemporary with two of the best-documented Roman figures from Castelldefels: Gai Trocina Synecdémo and Valèria Haliné. Their names have survived to the present day thanks to a Roman funerary inscription preserved in the church of the Castle, where Valèria Haliné dedicates some words to her husband, whom she describes as an “optimal husband.” Specialists place the lives of this couple between the second half of the 1st century and the early 2nd century.
Researchers believe it is possible that the person buried in the tomb lived during this same period and may even have had some connection with the inhabitants of the Roman villa that existed at the site. Nearly two thousand years ago, at the highest point of the hill, there stood a Roman villa, a rural estate that remained active for several centuries and was built over the remains of an earlier Iberian settlement.
The people living in the villa primarily engaged in agricultural and livestock tasks, with crops that likely included vineyards, as well as animal husbandry. According to historical studies, both free individuals and slaves coexisted in the villa.
The excavation has been led by archaeologist Pere Lluís Artigues and has been carried out thanks to funding from the Castelldefels City Council, at the initiative of the Castelldefels Historical Research Group (GREHIC). The entity has also actively participated in the archaeological work and will collaborate in the study of the materials and remains found.
This discovery contributes to expanding knowledge about the Roman past of Castelldefels and highlights the cultural wealth of a space that continues to reveal new pages of the city's history. The residents of Castelldefels will be able to learn more details about the find during the upcoming open days organized by GREHIC.
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