They discover a dozen burials in a mission founded by Father Kino, in Sonora


Archaeologists of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in Sonora discovered the bone remains of 12 individuals next to the Temple of the former Mission of Nuestra Señora del Pilar and Santiago de Cocóspera, when they excavated three wells to the west of the temple in order to retrieve information in the areas where foundation pads will be built for a roof that will protect the building built by the Jesuit missionary Eusebio Kino in the 16th century.

In the first stage of the excavations, part of the floor corresponding to the remodeling of the temple was found, carried out by the Franciscans at the end of the 18th century, later, original contexts were located of the Jesuit periodstage widely known in documentary sources, but minimally identified archaeologically.

Beneath this last piece of evidence, the dozen burials were found, corresponding to juveniles and adults, of which at least four were buried, exhumed and reburied among the later burials that were no longer disturbed, after the area was left undisturbed. disused as a cemetery. So far, there are no more particularities of sex, age, condition or origin.

The archaeologist responsible for the excavation, Jupiter Martinez Ramirezmentions that some of them could be pimas himeris, of an understudied periodso the pertinent assessments will be carried out, although, he pointed out, there was an unaltered burial, whose cranial shape coincides more with that of a person of European origin.

This cemetery, he says, is notable because it bears witness to the early missionary history of Sonora, and no previous records have been documented in the state, so the potential for more finds is high, given that seven wells remain to be dug and where they could be found. more burials.

He pointed out that behind the temple of the former mission there is a cemetery from the end of the 19th century and in use during the XX, but has no relation or association with the recent discoveries.

Cocóspera was a mission town founded by the Jesuits, which was in constant conflict with the Apaches. The Jesuit Father Eusebio Francisco Kino It initially entered the valleys of the Magdalena River and its tributaries to congregate the Pimas in the missions of San Ignacio de Caborica, San José de Ímuris, Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, Nuestra Señora del Pilar and Santiago de Cocóspera, and Santa María Magdalena.

With the arrival of new missionaries to the Pimería Alta, Kino put effort into the construction of the Mission of Santiago and Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Cocóspera, which belonged to the rectorate of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores along with the rest of the missions of that region.

The specialists report that they will continue with the assessments and studies to confirm specific data on sex, age and culture to which the burials belong, investigations that will be carried out in the course of 2022.

During the last years, the INAH Sonora Center has intensified actions for the recovery of the Temple of Cocóspera and the continuation of archaeological investigations, which has made it possible to rehabilitate the adobe walls to protect the finishes of the brick altars covered with flattened plaster and remains of mural painting.

The rescue of the former Cocóspera Mission requires the actions of a multidisciplinary team: architects, restorers, archaeologists, master bricklayers, masons, physical anthropologists, among others, as well as the collaboration of the communities of the municipalities of Ímuris and Cananea, a task that in 2022 will include the participation of specialists in restoration of the National Coordination for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage of the INAHRenata Schneider Glantz and Hugo Orendain, with the support of the Swiss Embassy in Mexico.



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