ossuary

burial urn

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July 1, 2026

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An ossuary is a depository for the bones of the dead. The term comes from the Late Latin word ossuarium, meaning "of bones". Historically, various cultures have used different methods for disposing of the dead, including cremation and burial. When bodies were cremated, the ashes were often collected in a cinerary urn. While not explicitly defined as an ossuary, a cinerary urn serves a similar purpose of holding remains. Ancient Egyptians used large stone sarcophagi, often highly polished and covered with hieroglyphics, and also mummy chests made of hardwood or papier-mâché.123

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memento mori
Religious and philosophical expressions
In architecture, ossuaries, or “bone churches,” lined with human bones functioned both as memento mori and places for storage if a cemetery became too crowded. Famous examples include the 15th-century Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic, which was redesigned in 1870, and the 16th-century Capela dos Ossos…
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In architecture, ossuaries, or “bone churches,” lined with human bones functioned both as memento mori and places for storage if a cemetery became too crowded. Famous examples include the 15th-century Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic, which was redesigned in 1870, and the 16th-century Capela dos Ossos…
Read More

Central Asian arts
Sogdiana
…like rectangular rooms to contain ossuaries, or urns for the bones of the dead. The sides and lids of the ossuaries were decorated. The ornamentation on an ossuary from Bia Naiman (State Hermitage Museum) has so many points in common with the decorations on a series of silver vessels that…
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…like rectangular rooms to contain ossuaries, or urns for the bones of the dead. The sides and lids of the ossuaries were decorated. The ornamentation on an ossuary from Bia Naiman (State Hermitage Museum) has so many points in common with the decorations on a series of silver vessels that…
Read More