Rufo's Tombstone

Christianity arrived in what is now the province of Huesca at a time when North African communities were thriving. Its arrival is reflected in three remarkable Early Christian tombstones dating back to the second half of the 4th century, from the Monte Cillas necropolis in Coscojuela de Fantova, Somontano de Barbastro. They are now on display in the Huesca Museum. This tombstone depicts the deceased, Rufo, dressed in a tunic, with his arms raised and hands open in the act of prayer. It uses the opus tesselatum mosaic technique, and displays a wide range of iconographic motifs linked to Early Christianity: the person at prayer, ivy, doves, and the Christogram (symbol for Christ). The Latin inscription in the top half indicates that the tombstone was commissioned by his wife to decorate his grave.