ABSTRACT
The Spanish Civil War has deep roots. In this chapter, the origins of the conflict in the last few hundred years of Spanish history are outlined. Then, the massive violence behind the lines that characterizes the early months of the war is explored. After the beginning of 1937, politically motivated killings generally plummeted, as expedient militia justice was replaced by formal, and usually more restrained, forms of punishment. Since 2000, scientific exhumations have produced a wealth of data on the patterns of political assassinations, mostly those perpetrated by right-wing groups. This chapter explores the different ways in which people were murdered and their bodies disposed, considering geographic, gender, political and idiosyncratic factors. Osteological remains and artifacts associated with the bones also provide unique insight into the identity and the lives of the murdered. While it is not always possible to put a name to the dead, archaeologists can recover something of their collective identities, which are at least as important.
