However, the last two decades have witnessed a boost in archaeological research on the war, including numerous fieldwork projects (often organized as the result of bottom-up initiatives), conferences, and publications. While there is a long and prolific tradition of historical studies about the Spanish Civil, the archaeological investigation of the conflict and its afermath is much more recent. This is perhaps best exemplified by the recent controversy surrounding the exhumation of General Franco’s remains from the “Valle de los Caídos” (“Valley of the Fallen”), an impressive monument erected by the regime to commemorate its victory and serve as the last resting place for the dictator. Often seen as a forerunner of, or test laboratory for, World War II, its scars are still deeply present in Spanish society.

The Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) is among the armed conflicts of the twentieth century that has attracted interest by both scholars and the general public (e.g., Beevor 2006 Graham 2005 Payne 2012). The ongoing archaeological excavations and surveys are uncovering abundant remains of trenches, battering positions, barracks, and munitions belonging to the Civil War period, when Bernorio was a highly disputed position in the confrontation between “Republicans” and “Nationalists.” Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this paper combines archaeological evidence, oral history, and written documents that shed light on one of the main episodes of Franco’s conquest of northern Spain. Due to this strategic position, the site has played an important military role during two episodes of war separated by nearly 2,000 years: the Roman conquest of northern Iberia under Emperor Augustus in the 20s BCE, and the Spanish Civil War in the years 1936-37. The impressive mountain of Monte Bernorio, situated at the foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains, controls one of the main communication routes between the central Spanish plateau (Meseta) and the Cantabrian Sea. In this paper, we present a case study from the so-called “Northern Front” ( Frente Norte). Several field projects have studied aspects such as mass graves, forced labor camps, and battlefields. The archaeology of the Spanish Civil War (1936–39) has experienced an important development over the last two decades.

Map of spanish civil war