Ossuaries

An ossuary is a container or room used to store human skeletal remains after the soft tissues have decomposed, typically following an initial burial. The word comes from Latin os, ossis, meaning bone, and the concept appears in many cultures as a way to manage burial space and honor the dead.

In many traditions, bones are collected after a primary burial and reinterred in an ossuary, or in a bone-house. Ossuary practices address practical concerns of space in crowded cemeteries, while also reflecting beliefs about memory, mortality, and the afterlife. Some traditions treat the ossuary as a communal repository rather than a shrine to a single person.

Notable examples include the Catacombs of Paris, a vast network of limestone galleries storing millions of skeletal remains; the Sedlec Ossuary in Kutná Hora, Czech Republic, famed for its bone artistry; and the Capuchin Crypt in Rome, where bones are arranged in decorative forms. Ossuaries also appear in many regions and periods, from ancient cave tombs to medieval bone houses.

Architecturally, ossuaries range from simple chests and cupboards to elaborately carved or arranged clusters inside caves, churches, or underground vaults. They may hold remains from a single family, a village, or a community, and are sometimes used for reburial, memorialization, or ritual cleansing.

In modern practice, ossuaries are studied by archaeologists and displayed in museums, with attention to ethical handling and legal frameworks governing human remains.