Bones found in north-west Spain could be legendary bishop’s, scientists believe

Scientists believe a set of ancient bones discovered in north-west Spain almost 70 years ago are those of the bishop whose devotion to St James the Apostle paved the way for the Camino de Santiago path taken by countless footsore pilgrims over the past 12 centuries.

According to historical sources and oral tradition, Bishop Teodomiro of Iria Flavia discovered the remains of St James – who was martyred in Jerusalem between the years AD41 and 44 – in an abandoned cemetery in what is now the Galician city of Santiago de Compostela. Teodomiro is said to have received the revelation in the early ninth century after days of fasting and meditation – and with a little help from a visionary local hermit.

Legend has it that St James’s remains were transported to Galicia by two disciples in a boat led by angels, and buried in a field.

The excavation of the saint’s remains prompted King Alfonso II of the neighbouring Asturias region to march his court from Oviedo to Santiago. Their journey across north-west Spain was the first Camino de Santiago pilgrimage and established the so-called Primitive Way. Over the centuries, millions of pilgrims have followed in their footsteps and travelled to the tomb of St James in Santiago de Compostela’s cathedral.

Years of debate over whether Teodomiro actually existed appeared to come to an end in 1955, when a team of archaeologists working on the floor of the cathedral found an inscribed tombstone referring to the bishop and, beneath it, the bones of an old man.

Teodomiro’s apparent reappearance, however, was shortlived: a few decades later, another group of researchers concluded that the bones belonged to a woman who had been interred in a different tomb.

But a new examination of the remains – which combined osteoarchaeological analysis, radiocarbon dating, multi-isotope analysis and DNA testing – has determined that they are likely to belong to Teodomiro after all.

The study, led by Dr Patxi Pérez-Ramallo of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, has identified a number of separate pieces of evidence to support the assertion.

“Application of a combination of bioarchaeological techniques is helping to unravel many of the issues surrounding the possible remains of Bishop Teodomiro, whose very existence was debated until the discovery of his tombstone,” the researchers write in the journal Antiquity .

“Despite the limitations, and the caution that must be exercised in interpreting our results, these data support the possibility that the human remains found in association with the inscribed tombstone under the floor of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in 1955 are those of Bishop Teodomiro.”

The team’s analysis found that the remains belonged to a thin, elderly man who probably grew up in the area around Santiago de Compostela, and whose diet, low in animal proteins, was consistent with the monastic rules limiting the consumption of meat.

Pérez-Ramallo told El País he and his colleagues felt there was a “98% likelihood” that the bones were those of the bishop.

“In this case, the data support the existence of the historical figure of Teodomiro, so relevant within the phenomenon of the Camino de Santiago as the discoverer of the tomb of St James the Apostle,” the researchers say in the Antiquity article.

“This information will contribute directly to the conservation of the remains and promote a special place of worship in the Cathedral of Santiago, enriching visits to the temple and the city, as Teodomiro represents a significant figure not only for the history of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, but also for Spain, Europe and Catholicism.”