Mass grave shock in Malaga: 73 Civil War victims exhumed – one in five were women

GRIM new discoveries have been made in a mass grave at Campillos cemetery in Malaga, where archaeologists have recovered the remains of 73 people executed during Spain’s bloody Civil War.

The first phase of the dig, lasting two and a half months, revealed something rarely seen in other exhumations – over 20% of the victims were women. Normally, women account for just 3–5% of those found in Civil War graves.

The findings suggest the violence in Campillos was particularly brutal. Experts say many of the victims showed evidence of being executed with “a high level of violence”.

The size of the burial pit has stunned archaeologists. Initial estimates put the number of victims at around 70, but the grave has turned out to be much larger. Teams now believe more than 150 bodies could lie beneath the earth in Campillos.

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Alongside the war victims, nine other bodies buried in coffins after the conflict were also exhumed, having been laid directly on top of the mass grave. Bone samples are being analysed so DNA can be compared with relatives who have waited nearly nine decades to know the fate of their loved ones.

“It’s not about reopening wounds – it’s about justice, dignity and giving these victims a proper burial,” said Campillos mayor Daniel Gómez. “Families deserve closure after almost 90 years.”
The €30,000 project involved students from Malaga University, who gained first-hand experience in forensic archaeology and historical investigation.

A second phase of exhumations is planned for 2026, backed by the Junta de Andalucia and Spain’s national exhumation plan.

The Campillos site is now being seen as one of the most significant Civil War grave excavations in the province – a chilling reminder of the conflict that scarred Spain in the 1930s.

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