The excavations in Formentera end without locating six victims of Francoist repression

PalmThe archaeological excavations carried out in the old cemetery of Formentera and the surveys around the Coix quarry, in Els Pujols, have ended without it being possible to locate six victims of the Francoist repression.

Both actions are part of the Fifth Plan for Mass Graves, launched by the Government to locate, exhume, and identify people who disappeared during the Civil War and the dictatorship, the Ministry of the Presidency, Coordination of Government Action, and Local Cooperation stated in a press release. The excavations in the old Sant Francesc cemetery were carried out to locate the remains of Josep Tur Planells, known as Pep de na Damiana, who was murdered in 1937.

During the intervention, archaeological soundings were carried out within the cemetery grounds and its immediate surroundings to investigate possible burial sites. Despite the work carried out, no remains compatible with the victim were found. The intervention did, however, allow for the documentation of several historical burials of Formentera residents dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries. In accordance with the regulations established by the Formentera Council and the Bishopric, these burials were not exhumed and were reburied.

In parallel, researchers conducted a surface survey around the Coix quarry, where it was suspected that five victims of Francoist repression might have been buried: Antoni Mayans Mayans, Francisco Verdera Castellón, Mariano Torres Torres, and Josep Riera. The work consisted of a visual inspection of the terrain and photographic documentation of the study area, carried out both on foot and using drone flights equipped with high-resolution cameras. The inspection confirmed the absence of any evidence that would allow the identification of possible burial sites in that area.