Malaga metro works held up for nine months after surprise Roman necropolis find in city

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View of work on the area where the graves have been found during the work on the metro. Migue Fernández Archaeology Malaga metro works held up for nine months after surprise Roman necropolis find in city

Nearly 300 skeletons have already been found during work in Calle Hilera and a full excavation has been ordered

Ignacio Lillo

Malaga

Friday, 19 December 2025, 12:03

The discovery of a large Roman necropolis on Calle Hilera while digging the extension of Malaga city's metro line has led to the temporary suspension of the work on one section for the full excavation of the remains.

The find was a surprise, as there had been no evidence of the existence of a large burial ground in the area. The regional ministry of culture believes that the remains are of such historical importance that their careful and full excavation will take between six and nine months. This is still an initial estimate, pending confirmation by the archaeologists who are working on the site. There is already evidence pointing to almost 300 skeletons, according to various technical sources consulted by SUR.

The dig affects a stretch of some 400 metres while the remaining two sections of the new line, at both ends, continue progressing according to schedule.

The archaeological method applied on Calle Hilera differs from those used in previous excavations. Unlike the houses from the Nasrid period that appeared in the area around Avenida de Andalucía, where it was feasible to use machinery, now the excavation has to be done tomb by tomb, manually, more slowly.

This means that the reopening of Calle Hilera will be delayed until at least the end of 2026 or early 2027. However the good news is that this will not alter the timetable for the arrival of the metro to Hospital Civil. In fact, the commissioning of the 1.8 kilometres from El Corte Inglés to the junction with Arroyo de los Ángeles will be marked by the third section (that of Blas de Lezo), which has not yet been awarded and which, once it starts in 2026, will require at least three years, just like the other two sections.

The Roman necropolis dates from the 2nd to 4th centuries (Upper and Lower Imperial periods). As this is an extraordinary discovery and due to the state of the remains, the regional ministry of culture's ruling demands great care in the excavation process.

"A full archaeological excavation is called for, work on all the graves, and the relocation and preservation of the most significant ones," said the regional ministry of public work.