Catacombs

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Catacombs are man-made underground passages built mainly for religious purposes, especially for burying people. A burial chamber is considered a catacomb, and the term is most closely linked with ancient Rome. The first place called catacombs was a system of underground tombs along the Appian Way in Rome, where some apostles, including Peter and Paul, were said to be buried. The name comes from Late Latin catacumbas; its origin is unclear, possibly from a name or from the Greek phrase cata cumbas, meaning “below the quarries.” Initially it referred to Roman catacombs, but by the 19th century the word was used for any underground burial place, such as the Paris catacombs.

Early catacombs were carved from soft tufa rock outside city walls, because burying inside the city was illegal. This made it possible to honor martyrs and hold commemorative services safely on sacred days.

Today there are catacombs around the world. They exist in Anatolia (Turkey), Sousse (Tunisia), Syracuse (Italy), Trier (Germany), and Kyiv (Ukraine). The Capuchin catacombs in Palermo, Sicily, were used until the 1920s. In England, some grand cemeteries from the 19th century include catacombs—some above ground like Sheffield General Cemetery and some below ground like West Norwood Cemetery.

There are catacombs near Aladzha Monastery in Bulgaria and in Bucharest, Romania. In Ukraine and Russia, the word catacomb (katakomby in local languages) also refers to old networks of mined caves and tunnels.

In Italy there are other possible catacombs near the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell’Assunta at Alezio and in the basement of the Santa Maria della Lizza Sanctuary.

Besides being burial places, catacombs often hold decorations. Rome and Paris catacombs, among others, contain thousands of inscriptions, paintings, statues, and other items placed with the dead to honor them. The Rome catacombs feature many Christian images and Bible scenes. Some artworks from catacombs have been preserved in museums such as the Museum of Saint John Lateran, the Christian Museum at Berlin University, and the Vatican.

Some notable finds include representations of Christ as Orpheus in the Domatilla and St. Callista catacombs, and a fourth-century gilded glass image of Jesus with the world in his hand and a scroll at his feet. Inscriptions often note the deceased’s rank or job, though many simply express love for family.

In recent years scientists have found bacteria living in catacombs that can cause mineral changes and decay, including Kribbella sancticallisti, Kribbella catacumbae, and several Rubrobacter species.