Archaeologists in Barcelona have uncovered a puzzling discrepancy after opening centuries-old royal tombs at the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes, finding that several graves did not contain the remains they were expected to hold. The exhumations formed part of a wider multidisciplinary study marking the 700th anniversary of the monastery's founding, and the unexpected findings raise fresh questions about the site's medieval history and burial records.

The Gothic monastery was established in 1326 by Queen Elisenda of Montcada, wife of King James II of Aragon, and has stood for nearly 700 years. Local officials have begun releasing the initial results of the investigation, which combined archaeological and scientific analysis of the tombs, though full details on which remains were misidentified and why have yet to be fully explained.