loculi

Loculi (singular: loculus) are small, recessed compartments used for burial or storage, most commonly associated with ancient tombs and catacombs. The term derives from Latin, meaning “little place” or “slot,” and historically refers to the narrow niches cut into the walls of subterranean burial chambers. In Roman and early Christian catacombs, loculi were arranged in rows, each sealed with a slab of stone or marble and often a simple covering of plaster or stucco. Their size varied, but a typical loculus measured roughly 60 cm high, 30 cm wide, and 20 cm deep, sufficient to hold one or more skeletal remains, occasionally accompanied by modest grave goods.

The practice of using loculi spread throughout the Mediterranean during the first few centuries CE, reflecting both spatial efficiency and the desire for modest, anonymous interment. In later periods, similar niches appeared in medieval church crypts and in some Islamic ossuaries, though the architectural details differed. Modern archaeology uses the presence and arrangement of loculi to date burial sites, assess social stratification, and reconstruct funerary rituals. Excavations in sites such as the Catacombs of San Callisto in Rome and the underground tombs of Alexandria have yielded thousands of loculi, providing valuable osteological and epigraphic data.

Contemporary usage of the term extends to museum displays and archival storage, where “loculi” may denote small lockers or compartments designed for the preservation of artifacts. In all contexts, the concept underscores the human need to create organized, protected spaces for the dead or valuable objects.