Osteological and genetic investigation performed on Bishop Teodomiro´s remains

Bone elements in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, from an individual assumed to be Teodomiro. Photo: Patxi Pérez-Ramallo

In 1955, human remains were discovered near a tombstone bearing the name of a Bishop Teodomiro who died in 847 CE. While these remains were initially believed to be his, a later investigation suggested they belonged to an elderly woman. To resolve this mystery, an international research team, including researchers from the Center for Palaeogenetics at Stockholm University, conducted a new osteological and genetic investigation.

Confirms remains of an adult male

The study, coordinated by the Spanish researcher Patxi Perez Ramallo, with contributions from Ricardo Rodríguez Varela, Maja Krzewińska, and Anders Götherström at the Centre for Palaeogenetics at Stockholm University, confirmed that the remains were those of an adult male, aged at least 45 years. Isotope analysis revealed a mixed plant and animal protein-based diet, with also consumption of marine proteins but with a lower input of animal proteins than would be expected for the social status afforded a bishop. However acording to the researchers, diet can reflect various factors, including religious practices and local traditions.

Tombstone or lid of the sarcophagus of Bishop Teodomiro of Iria Flavia discovered by Chamoso Lamas in1955. The inscription on it reads: IN HOC TVMVLO REQVIESCIT FAMULUS DI THEODEMIRVSHIRIENSE SEDIS EPS QVI OBIIT XIII KLDS NBRS ERA DCCCLXXXV (In this tomb rests the servant ofGod Teodomiro, Bishop of the See of Iria, who died on the 13th of the Kalends of November in the year 885)(© Fundación Catedral de Santiago).

Teodomiro or not?

Radiocarbon dating placed the remains between 673-820 CE, aligning with Teodomiro's purported death in 847 CE. Genetic analyses indicated that the individual had levels of North African ancestry similar to that of Roman Iberians, south Iberian Visigoths, and Iberian Islamic populations, consistent with someone who lived in 9th-century Spain. These findings suggest, acording to the research team, combined with the isotopic and osteological data, that the remains could belong to Bishop Teodomiro.

“There is nothing in it that disputes the remains being those of Bishop Teodomiro. Rather, the genetics, the isotopes indicating diet and geographical origin, the osteology, and the radiocarbon date are all consistent with what would be expected if the remains were those of Bishop Teodomiro of Iria Flavia, who lived and died in 847 CE on the Iberian Peninsula. In fact, this potential confirmation of the remains would make them the oldest identified historical figure in Spain and one of the oldest in Europe”, says Anders Götherström Professor of Molecular Archaeology at the Centre for Palaeogenetics at Stockholm University.

Whether confirmed or not, Teodomiro's legacy endures through the establishment of Santiago de Compostela, a site that continues to draw pilgrims from around the world.

 Read the study: Unveiling Bishop Teodomiro of Iria Flavia? An attempt to identify the discoverer of St James's tomb through osteological and biomolecular analyses (Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain)

Read more about the Centre for Palaeogenetics at Stockholm University