An international research team has made a groundbreaking discovery by likely confirming the identity of remains believed to belong to Bishop Teodomiro, the 9th-century cleric credited with discovering the tomb of St. James the Apostle. This finding not only sheds light on the life of one of the most significant figures associated with the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela but also provides new insights into the early medieval period in Spain.
The Historical Significance of Bishop Teodomiro
Bishop Teodomiro of Iria-Flavia, a town now known as Padrón in Spain, is a pivotal figure in the history of Santiago de Compostela. According to historical accounts, between 820 and 830 AD, a hermit named Pelayo witnessed a miraculous shower of stars descending upon a field. This celestial event led to the discovery of an ancient mausoleum, which Pelayo reported to Bishop Teodomiro.
After three days of meditation and fasting, Teodomiro declared that the mausoleum contained the remains of St. James the Apostle and two of his disciples. This revelation was monumental, as it led to the establishment of Santiago de Compostela as a major pilgrimage site, attracting millions of visitors to the cathedral that houses St. James’ tomb. This pilgrimage to the location in northern Spain is still popular today, known as the Camino de Santiago.
Despite his crucial role in establishing one of Christianity’s most important pilgrimage routes, Bishop Teodomiro’s historical existence was questioned for centuries. It wasn’t until the latter half of the 20th century that evidence emerged to confirm his existence, when a tombstone marking his death in 847 AD was discovered in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
Beneath this tombstone were remains that were initially identified as those of an elderly male. However, a reexamination in the mid-1980s suggested that the remains were of a woman, casting doubt on the identification.
State of the place in November 2021 where the supposed remains of Bishop Teodomiro were found. (© Patxi Pérez Ramallo/Antiquity Publications Ltd)
Advanced Analysis Reveals New Insights
In a recent interdisciplinary study published in Antiquity, led by Patxi Pérez Ramallo of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Stockholm, researchers reexamined the remains using advanced osteological, stable isotope, radiocarbon, and ancient DNA analyses. Their findings provide compelling evidence that these remains likely belong to Bishop Teodomiro.
The osteological analysis confirmed that the bones belonged to a single adult male, likely over 45 years old at the time of death. Isotope analysis revealed a diet consisting of both marine and terrestrial protein sources, which is somewhat atypical for Christian monks of the time, who often adhered to strict dietary regulations. However, this dietary pattern may reflect regional practices or individual circumstances rather than broader monastic norms.
Radiocarbon dating placed the remains between 673 and 820 AD, consistent with a death around 847 AD when accounting for the consumption of marine protein, which can slightly skew radiocarbon results. Additionally, stable oxygen isotope analysis suggested that the individual lived near the coast, aligning with Bishop Teodomiro’s residence in Iria-Flavia.
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Genetic Evidence and Historical Context
According to the Max Planck Institute release, the archaeogenetic analysis conducted at Stockholm University revealed that the individual’s genetic profile was consistent with populations living in Spain 1,200 years ago. The genetic markers showed affinities with Roman Iberians, southern Iberian Visigoths, and Iberian Islamic populations, reflecting the diverse population dynamics of early medieval Spain, particularly in response to the Umayyad Caliphate’s conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century.
These genetic findings further support the identification of the remains as those of Bishop Teodomiro, who lived during a period of significant cultural and genetic intermixing in the region.
Implications of the Discovery
While it remains challenging to definitively authenticate the identity of someone who lived over a millennium ago, the evidence presented in this study strongly suggests that these remains could indeed belong to Bishop Teodomiro. If confirmed, this would make him one of the oldest identified historical figures in Spain and Europe, providing a tangible link to a pivotal moment in the history of Christianity.
Top image: Bone elements preserved from individual NCS200 in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in November 2019. Source: © Patxi Pérez Ramallo/Antiquity Publications Ltd
