Comments on Muslim, Jewish and Christian Burial Practices in Medieval Toledo (Spain)

Abstract

Burial of the dead is a very material reflection on one’s own existence. Religious considerations aside, the funerary world has more to do with social, kin, and religious contexts than with the deceased himself/herself. Because of this, burial practices are quite diverse across space and time. Historical texts are essential sources of knowledge about the medieval funerary context; however, only archaeology provides details regarding burial practice and belief. This article analyses Muslim, Christian and Jewish burial rituals and introduces a new field study based on the main results of different excavations, some of them published during the last decade, with the ultimate goal of understanding the funerary world of medieval Toledo. The expulsion of Jews and Muslims at the end of the 15th century by the Catholic Monarchs and their policy of eradicating the memory of their presence in Spain makes difficult our efforts to recover these cultures and their material remains. Until the 12th century, Christians, Jews and Muslims were buried outside the city walls; however, after the taking of Toledo by Alphonse 6th, Christians started using the parish churches and other religious buildings inside the city as burial grounds.