They identify the remains of the bishop who discovered the tomb of the Apostle Santiago

A scientific team has identified the remains of the bishop of Iria Flavia Teodomiro, who received a revelation about the location of the tomb of Saint James the Greater, the Apostle who evangelized Spain and gave rise to the largest pilgrim route in Europe.

This is stated in an article published by the Cambridge University in which details of the research led by the Spanish Patxi Pérez Ramallo, member of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, are given.

The origin of the Camino de Santiago dates back to the 9th century, when a hermit named Pelayo witnessed a shower of stars descending on a field. Upon arriving at the place, he discovered an ancient tomb and informed the Bishop of Iria Flavia, Teodomiro.

According to tradition, three days of prayer and fasting passed until the prelate received a revelation in which he was made aware that it was the place where the Apostle James had been buried along with two of his disciples.

It was King Alfonso II of Asturias, upon learning of the events, who ordered a church to be built in the place after being the first pilgrim to the holy place, traveling a route from the city of Oviedo that is still known today as the Camino Primitivo.

Soon there were many more who, guided by faith and piety, came to the place, which over the years was transformed into the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

In 1955, the archaeologist Manuel Chamoso Lamas discovered a tombstone on the floor of the Compostela cathedral with an inscription that referred to Bishop Teodomiro. Under it, some skeletal remains of what appeared to be an elderly man. Years later, a reevaluation of the bones led to claims that they belonged to a woman.

The new scientific research constitutes “the first analysis of bones combining osteological and biomolecular techniques, with the aim of establishing a detailed biological profile of the individual and providing new knowledge about their chronology, geographical origin, diet and social status.”

Among other tests, radiocarbon dating was carried out from a rib fragment, a DNA analysis and another on the stability of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen from the enamel of a lower premolar.

As a result, the conviction was reached that it is “an elderly male with a graceful constitution” who would be about 45 years old and whose dating is consistent with the date of death on the tombstone, 847 AD. . From the evidence it is also deduced that this is an individual who lived near the coast, a fact also applicable to the Bishop of Iria Flavia, current Padrón, a coastal municipality in Galicia.

The DNA tests show features that lead to the conclusion that it is an individual who lived in the Iberian Peninsula 1,200 years ago since “it is located outside the modern European variation towards the direction of the modern populations of North Africa and close to the Roman Iberians, the Visigoths of southern Iberia and the Iberian Islamic individuals.

After their analysis, the researchers conclude that “despite the limitations and caution that must be taken in the interpretation of our results, these data support the possibility that the human remains found in association with the tombstone inscribed under the floor of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in 1955 be those of Bishop Teodomiro.”

Furthermore, they point out that “this information will directly contribute to the conservation of the remains and to promote a special place of worship in the Cathedral of Santiago, enriching visits to the temple and the city, since Teodomiro represents a key figure not only for the history of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, but also for Spain, Europe and Catholicism.”