The Deputación de Pontevedra presented new findings from archaeological work at the Santa Clara convent : a saponified brain was recovered from a burial in the church choir area . According to the excavation team, this is an extremely rare find in Spain. The remains of two children and the fully clothed body of a chaplain were also documented; his shoes and liturgical clothing have survived. The finds were secured and prepared for laboratory analysis.
Saponification is a post-mortem chemical process in which the body’s fats turn into a wax-like substance, allowing soft tissue to be preserved exceptionally well. The area in question had already been identified as a burial zone during earlier excavation campaigns. The current test excavations have been under way since June 2026. Archaeologists believe the grave containing the saponified tissue lies stratigraphically beneath areas that had been opened by the beginning of the 20th century at the latest. A more precise date is to be established through forensic and scientific analyses.
Those responsible stress that the description of the tissue and its scientific interpretation are preliminary assessments. The identity, age and circumstances of death of the deceased remain unknown pending laboratory results. According to the Deputación de Pontevedra a forensic anthropologist is involved in the analysis. Samples and documentation are to be sent to the Faculty of History at the University of Santiago de Compostela for analysis.
In public statements, the Deputación’s Vice-President, Rafa Domínguez, described the finds as exceptional and supported experts’ call for the church areas to be excavated more extensively. In addition to expanding the areas under investigation, the importance of strict contextual documentation and an unbroken chain of custody for the samples was emphasised, to avoid compromising future analyses.
Experts see the find as enhancing the scientific importance of the Santa Clara complex and adding weight to the ongoing restoration and museum plans. Decisions on the future excavation strategy and timetable are to be made once the first laboratory results are available. Until then, predictions about dates or the causes of the exceptional preservation are explicitly considered preliminary.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).