A Wall Full of Skeletons

WHEN THE WALLS OF a 15th-century Portuguese church collapsed during poor weather, they revealed more than just dust and debris—they exposed at least 12 skeletons stashed inside the walls.

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The ancient Igreja Matriz de Portimão (which translates to Main Church of Portimão) is located at the highest point in the city of Portimão near the famed Praia da Rocha beach. It was likely one of the most impressive buildings in the region when it was constructed, but time took its toll and eventually caused a wall to collapse. When crews arrived on site to assess the damage, they stumbled into an unexpected archaeological situation. “The work to replace the wall ended up uncovering part of the bones, and at the time, an archaeology team was cal