Archaeologists Uncover Mass Grave Holding Remains of 10 Women Executed by Fascist Firing Squad in the Early Stages of the Spanish Civil War
Archaeologists in northeastern Spain have recently made a significant discovery – the mass grave of 10 women who were killed by a fascist firing squad during the early days of the Spanish Civil War. This finding sheds light on the often overlooked plight of women during the conflict.
The bodies of these women were found in a well-preserved state, with white buttons tracing up their spines – remnants of the clothes they wore on the day they were executed on August 31, 1936. They were taken from their homes in the village of Uncastillo the previous night and killed. Their bodies were then dumped in a narrow pit in a local cemetery in Farasdues, a neighboring region in Aragon.
One of the women killed was Mari Carmen Rios’ grandmother, Inocencia Aznares. Rios is left wondering about the reasons behind her grandmother’s execution. “Why did they kill her? Because they couldn’t find my uncle? Because she could read and write? Because she voted for the republic? … I don’t know … Nothing they did makes sense,” Rios said.
The Spanish Civil War, which took place from 1936 to 1939, resulted in the deaths of over 500,000 people. However, more than 100,000 bodies are still missing, many of which are believed to be in unmarked mass graves. To address this issue, the leftist coalition government approved a bill to finance exhumations from these mass graves in order to “restore democratic memory.”
Historically, research on the Spanish Civil War has predominantly focused on the experiences of men. Cristina Sanchez, an investigator at Zaragoza University, emphasizes the need to acknowledge the role of women in the conflict. “Where are all the women? … Now we are finding that they were present as victims of violence and as perpetrators.”
Sanchez explains that while some women were targeted due to their political beliefs or activism, many more were killed as substitutes for their male relatives. The methods of execution were equally brutal for both men and women.
The excavations in Farasdues began in November and have brought attention to the long-standing memory of the massacre in the area. Archaeologist Javier Ruiz mentions that taking away 10 women at once was a rare occurrence, particularly in Aragon. He adds, “In Uncastillo, these 10 women have never been forgotten.”
Adjacent to the women’s grave, archaeologists also uncovered another site containing the bodies of at least seven men, who are still awaiting identification. For Mari Carmen Rios, the excavation has stirred up emotions of anger and outrage, but also a sense of closure. “When you say ‘We’ve found her, she’s there, we’re going to bury her with grandpa,’ honestly it makes me very happy,” Rios shared.
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