Ossuary
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An ossuary is a chest, box, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is first buried in
The limestone James Ossuary from the 1st century
Human remains on the walls and ceiling of Skull Chapel, Poland
A chandelier made of bones in Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic
Ossuary at the Gallipoli battlefield; contains the remains of French soldiers
Charnel house
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A charnel house is a vault or building where human skeletal remains are stored. They are often built near churches for depositing bones that are unearthed while digging graves. The term can also be us
Ossuary
…dies, his remains are buried (for details, see Christian burial) for one to three years, and then disinterred, cleaned and gathered into the monastery's charnel house. If there is reason to believe that the departed is a saint, the remains may be placed in a reliquary; otherwise the bones are usually mingled together…
Contents of a Greek Orthodox charnel house showing disarticulated human skeletal remains
Charnel house of Amidadera temple (Nachikatsuura, Wakayama, Japan)
Charnel House at Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai
The Chapel of Bones in Évora, Portugal