Religion Past and Present

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Sarcophagus/Urn/Ossuary
(793 words)

[German Version]

I. Bronze Age to Late Antiquity

It is important to distinguish between a sarcophagus to hold a dead body, an urn for the ashes of a person who has been cremated, and an ossuary to hold the bones of the dead after the flesh has decayed (see also Burial). These receptacles were generally buried; they were not visible and were therefore simple. In some areas and in some periods, it became customary to make them out of marble or other …

Cite this page
Koch, Guntram and Freigang, Christian, “Sarcophagus/Urn/Ossuary”, in: Religion Past and Present. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_COM_024709>
First published online: 2011
First print edition: ISBN: 9789004146662, 2006-2013



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