Five days left: Mallorca king’s grave eludes dig

Five days remain in the hunt for Mallorca king Jaume IV’s grave, but it has not appeared at the former San Francisco monastery in Soria. The search, backed by the Consell de Mallorca and the Balearic Government, began on 14 September and is entering its final stretch. On Friday, 25 September, officials said they had found neither the tomb, its cover nor anything that can directly link a discovery to the monarch.

Bone fragments await dating

The team has uncovered several bone fragments in the area of the former Chapel of the Concepción. They will undergo carbon-14 dating, a test intended to establish their age.

Antònia Roca, the Consell de Mallorca’s vice-president and culture chief, urged caution. The results may help place the fragments in time, she said, but it is far too early to say whether they are Jaume IV’s remains.

Search continues after 2008 inquiry

Archaeologist Helena Inglada leads the professional excavation team, with Professor Gabriel Ensenyat coordinating the scientific work. The dig forms part of an investigation launched in 2008 to locate and identify the remains of Jaume IV, the last monarch of the Kingdom of Mallorca’s own dynasty.

The campaign is funded through the Institut d’Estudis Baleàrics and involves the Balearic Government, the Consell de Mallorca, Soria City Council and the Castilla y León regional government. Those involved will set out the next steps once the current excavation ends.

Topics: Culture

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com