Death and burial have been a significant part of the human experience since the beginning of human existence. A tomb, or a place of burial, holds particular significance because of the stories that it can tell. Tombs have held religious, cultural, and personal significance for as long as they have been around, and great and honorable leaders have been buried in equally great and honorable tombs. Ancient civilizations viewed elaborate burials as one of the best ways to memorialize a significant life, so the ancient people would typically put all things of importance to them with their dead. For this reason, excavating burial sites is perhaps the best way to understand ancient and prehistoric cultures as people were often buried with significant artifacts, and clues as to what life was like during those times. For this reason, there are many spectacular and significant tombs around the world. The following tombs are just a few of the world’s most treasured burial sites.
1,400-Year-Old Anglo-Saxon Tomb
This tomb was discovered earlier this year by roadworkers in England. The tomb is particularly significant because it appears to be the earliest Christian burial discovered. The gravesite was that of a man of high standing, who was most likely royalty considering the luxury items that were buried with him. Found with the human remains were gold crosses, a golden belt buckle, a lyre, glassware, an ornamented water vessel, and luxury goods imported from as far as Syria.
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
This is the gravesite of the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, who lived around 200 BC. This tomb is most known for its protectors—8,000 life-sized Terracotta warriors whose purpose is to protect the emperor in his afterlife. The tomb has been excavated since 1974, and it is suspected that there are thousands of more soldiers still not yet excavated. The tomb also includes 130 chariots and 150 cavalry horses. The actual remains of the emperor have not been discovered yet, but legends have said that he rests in a tomb with pearl ceilings, amazing treasures, and is surrounded by rivers of Mercury.
Egyptian Tombs
Egyptian tombs are perhaps the most well-known tombs around the world. There are many Egyptian tombs, but the most famous are the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Tomb of Ramses, and of course, the Valley of the Kings. The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the largest pyramids in Egypt—one of the seven wonders of the world—and originally scaled 480 feet tall. It is the final resting place of Pharaoh Khufu. The Tomb of Ramses was the original burial site of Ramses II, or Ramses the Great, and held far greater treasures than even King Tutankhamen’s (King Tut) tomb. However, the tomb was looted after the pharaoh’s burial, around 1200 BC, so his mummy was relocated to a safer place by Egyptian priests. The Valley of Kings was a burial ground to many pharaohs and was also a tomb to one of the most famous mummies, King Tut. Not only are the Egyptian tombs an amazing sight to behold, they also hold priceless works of art, thousands-of-year-old mummies, and incredible architecture.
Sedlec Ossuary
The Sedlec Ossuary, an old Roman Catholic church in the Czech Republic, is one of the more peculiar tombs in the world. Because the site was considered holy ground, it was desirable to be buried there and the cemetery quickly became overcrowded. Because of this, bodies were placed in the building itself and there were heaps of bones strewn about the chapel. In 1870, a woodcarver was hired by a wealthy family to make order out of the bones, so he used the bones from about 40,000 people to create works of art. The bones were used to form chalices, sculptures, a coat of arms, and even chandeliers. All of the bone art pieces still remain in the chapel today, and the church is now known as the Church of Bones.
Catacombs of Paris
The Catacombs of Paris, also known as the Empire of the Dead, is the burial site of at least 6 million Parisians, and stretches for about 186 miles underneath the streets of Paris. The network of underground tunnels and rooms holds skeletons that are stacked so tightly they seem to form the very walls of the catacombs. In the late 1700’s, Paris was inflicted with infection and disease due to poor burial practices and overcrowded mass graves in cemeteries. To remedy this issue, officials had the previously buried bodies removed from the cemeteries and stacked in quarries underneath Paris. The last bodies were buried there in the mid-1800s. The catacombs can still be toured today, and although there is only a small section that people are permitted to enter, entrances have been discovered from the subway system, sewers, and manholes.
Ancient (and recent) tombs hold fascination for many people as they are often the key to understanding a vital piece of human life and history. Many ancient tombs were considered sacred grounds to their inhabitants, so with them can be found significant artifacts, beautiful works of art, and fascinating stories. The ancient tombs themselves can be a source of education to promote the understanding of entire civilizations of people, and diverse, interesting cultures, belief systems, and human stories. Many of these tombs can still be toured today.
Blog Resources
https://www.history.com/news/elephant-man-joseph-merrick-grave-discovery
http://listverse.com/2016/09/20/10-most-bizarre-tombs-ever-discovered/
https://www.neatorama.com/halloween/2007/10/01/10-most-fascinating-tombs-in-the-world/
https://earthnworld.com/top-10-most-fascinating-and-famous-tombs-in-the-world/
https://historylists.org/other/list-of-10-most-impressive-tombs-mausoleums-and-burial-sites.html
https://nypost.com/2018/12/15/ancient-never-looted-tomb-discovered-in-egypt/