Friday 26 November 2010

Algeciras's largest Islamic cemetery disinterred

ALGECIRAS (Agencies/Photo: EuropaSur) A dig at the site that will eventually become a centre and library for documents in Algeciras has revealed what had been expected by archaeologists: a 700 year old Islamic cemetery containing about one hundred partial or full skeletal remains. These are not only of great archaeological value but, given the ritual simplicity of Islamic burials, Given the ritual simplicity of Islamic burials, they are easily catalogued and archived. Placed in simple earth graves facing Mecca, some of them have stones placed at the feet, though rarely do they have any form of headstone. If so, these are almost exclusively of the mqabriya type. Islamic cemeteries were usually placed outside the towns, often near the gates. This one was at the gate that lead to Gibraltar, at the upper corner near where the Marinid ruins were revealed last year.

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