Civil engineering contractors working in the Largo das Mouras Velhas in the centre of Faro have unearthed an ancient burial site.
Work in the carpark near the Lethes Theatre had to be suspended on Tuesday while the grim discovery was analyzed and catalogued by specialists.
The council says that this sort of thing is par for the course and that work already has restarted: "it is a normal situation," stated the town hall spokesman.
The discovery was reported by the contractors and experts from the municipal museum soon were on site to have a look, photograph and catalogue the bones which had been disturbed by the digging.
"It is not the first time that remains have been discovered in thais place as it’s an area where burials are known to have taken place," say the council.
The bones are said to be around 400 years old.
The engineering work in the area began earlier in December with the council aiming to tidy up a square which acts as one of the city’s few remaining free parking areas.
As part of Faro council’s planned expenditure on renewing tatty areas, the square is to be landscaped and repaved - hopefully it will remain free to park there.
