# Tomb > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tomb > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tomb.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb > Source revision: 1344335256 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Repository for the remains of the dead For other uses, see [Tomb (disambiguation)](/source/Tomb_(disambiguation)). "Sepulchre" and "Entombment" redirect here. For other uses, see [Sepulchre (disambiguation)](/source/Sepulchre_(disambiguation)) and [Entombment (disambiguation)](/source/Entombment_(disambiguation)). The [Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah](/source/Tomb_of_I'tim%C4%81d-ud-Daulah) in [Agra](/source/Agra), India A **tomb** (from [Ancient Greek](/source/Ancient_Greek_language): τύμβος *tumbos*, meaning "mound" or "burial monument") is a repository for the remains of the dead. It may be above or below ground and can vary greatly in form, size, and cultural significance. Tombs are one of the oldest forms of funerary monuments, serving both as a means of [final disposition](/source/Disposal_of_human_corpses) and as expressions of religious belief, commemoration, and social status.[1] Placing a body in a tomb can be called *entombment*, distinct from simpler [burial](/source/Grave_(burial)) practices. Tombs often involve architectural or artistic design and can become significant cultural or religious landmarks.[2] ## Types of tombs The term "tomb" encompasses a wide variety of structures and traditions, ranging from prehistoric burial mounds to elaborate monumental mausoleums. ### Prehistoric and ancient tombs The [Urn Tomb](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Urn_Tomb&action=edit&redlink=1) at [Petra](/source/Petra), Jordan Many early societies constructed tombs using earth, stone, and timber, often imbued with religious or ritual significance. - **[Tumulus](/source/Tumulus)** (plural: tumuli): A mound of earth and stones raised over one or more graves. Known also as *barrows*, *burial mounds*, or *[kurgans](/source/Kurgan)*, these can be found in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.[1] - **[Megalithic tomb](/source/Megalithic_tomb)**: Constructed of large stones ([megaliths](/source/Megalith)) and originally covered by earth; includes [dolmens](/source/Dolmen) and [chamber tombs](/source/Chamber_tomb).[1] - **[Rock-cut tomb](/source/Rock-cut_tomb)**: Carved directly into solid rock, varying from simple caves to elaborate façades. Found in ancient [Egypt](/source/Egypt), [Lycia](/source/Lycia), and the city of [Petra](/source/Petra) in Jordan.[3][4] - **[Pyramid](/source/Pyramid)**: Monumental tombs or ceremonial structures, especially in [Ancient Egypt](/source/Ancient_Egypt) and Mesoamerica. The [Great Pyramid of Giza](/source/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza) is the largest pyramid in the world by volume.[5][6] - **[Ship burial](/source/Ship_burial)**: A practice of placing the deceased in a ship along with grave goods, common among Vikings and Germanic peoples (e.g., the [Oseberg Ship burial](/source/Oseberg_ship)).[1] - **[Grave field](/source/Grave_field)**: Large prehistoric cemeteries with multiple tombs, found in many early cultures. ### Architectural tombs and monuments Reconstruction model of the [Mausoleum at Halicarnassus](/source/Mausoleum_at_Halicarnassus) Freestanding and often monumental tombs became important markers of dynastic, royal, or religious power. - **[Mausoleum](/source/Mausoleum)**: External free-standing structures serving as both monuments and interment spaces. The [Mausoleum at Halicarnassus](/source/Mausoleum_at_Halicarnassus) was one of the [Seven Wonders of the Ancient World](/source/Seven_Wonders_of_the_Ancient_World).[7] - **[Sarcophagus](/source/Sarcophagus)**: A stone container for a body or coffin, often decorated with reliefs and inscriptions. Sarcophagi were prominent in Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Byzantium.[8][9] - **[Pillar tomb](/source/Pillar_tomb)**: A monumental grave marked by a pillar or column, common in parts of Africa and Arabia.[1] - **[Martyrium](/source/Martyrium_(architecture))**: A Christian building marking the site of a martyr’s tomb, often circular or polygonal, such as [San Pietro in Montorio](/source/San_Pietro_in_Montorio).[10] - **[Stećak](/source/Ste%C4%87ak)**: A monumental medieval tombstone richly decorated with reliefs, found in [Bosnia and Herzegovina](/source/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina), [Croatia](/source/Croatia), [Montenegro](/source/Montenegro), and [Serbia](/source/Serbia).[11] ### Tombs within religious contexts Crypt of the [Church of Saint Sava](/source/Church_of_Saint_Sava), Belgrade Many religious traditions incorporate tombs into sacred buildings or cemeteries. - **[Burial vault](/source/Burial_vault_(tomb))**: An underground stone or brick-lined chamber, often family-owned, located in cemeteries or beneath churches.[9] - **[Crypt](/source/Crypt)**: An underground chamber beneath a church, often used for bishops, saints, or patrons.[12] - **[Church monument](/source/Church_monument)**: An effigy-bearing monument within a church, commemorating nobles or clergy.[9] - **[Charnel house](/source/Charnel_house)**: A building for storing skeletal remains, common in medieval Europe.[2] - **[Shrine](/source/Shrine)**: A structure above the first burial place of a saint, distinct from a reliquary.[10] - **[Sepulchre](/source/Sepulchre)**: A cavernous rock-cut tomb, particularly in Jewish and Christian traditions (e.g., the [Holy Sepulchre](/source/Holy_Sepulchre) in Jerusalem).[10] - **[Ohel](/source/Ohel_(grave))**: A structure around the grave of a [Hasidic](/source/Hasidic) leader. - **Islamic tombs**: Mausoleums or shrines called [Mazar](/source/Mazar_(mausoleum)), [Türbe](/source/T%C3%BCrbe), [Qubba](/source/Qubba), [Dargah](/source/Dargah), or [Gongbei](/source/Gongbei_(Islamic_architecture)), often places of pilgrimage.[13][14] - **[Samadhi](/source/Samadhi_(shrine))**: In India, a tomb-shrine for saints, combining funerary and devotional elements.[1] ## Symbolism and cultural significance Tombs embody the beliefs, values, and aesthetics of the societies that created them. They may symbolize: - continuity of life after death,[15] - political power and dynastic legitimacy,[7] - artistic expression through sculpture, painting, and architecture,[8] - pilgrimage and veneration, especially in religious contexts.[10][12] ## Notable examples Some of the most famous tombs worldwide include: - The **[Great Pyramid of Giza](/source/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza)**, tomb of the pharaoh [Khufu](/source/Khufu).[5] - The **[Taj Mahal](/source/Taj_Mahal)** in Agra, India, mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal. - The **[Mausoleum at Halicarnassus](/source/Mausoleum_at_Halicarnassus)**, one of the Seven Wonders.[7] - The **[Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor](/source/Mausoleum_of_the_First_Qin_Emperor)**, guarded by the [Terracotta Army](/source/Terracotta_Army). - The **[Church of the Holy Sepulchre](/source/Church_of_the_Holy_Sepulchre)** in Jerusalem, containing the empty tomb of [Jesus](/source/Jesus).[10] - The **[Daisen Kofun](/source/Daisen_Kofun)** in Japan, the tomb of Emperor Nintoku, the largest tomb in the world by area.[16] - Numerous national **[Tombs of the Unknown Soldier](/source/Tomb_of_the_Unknown_Soldier)**, such as at the [Arc de Triomphe](/source/Arc_de_Triomphe) in Paris or [Arlington National Cemetery](/source/Arlington_National_Cemetery). ## Gallery of tomb types - The [Pyramid of Khufu](/source/Pyramid_of_Khufu), a pyramid tomb. - Sarcophagi at [Hierapolis](/source/Hierapolis). - [Necropolis](/source/Necropolis) with stećci at Radimlja. - Shrine and tomb of [Imam Husayn](/source/Husayn_ibn_Ali) in [Karbala](/source/Karbala). - The [Ohel](/source/Ohel_(Chabad-Lubavitch)), a Jewish pilgrimage site. - Tomb of the [Mannerheim family](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mannerheim_family&action=edit&redlink=1) in [Askainen](/source/Askainen), Finland. ## See also - [List of mausolea](/source/List_of_mausolea) - [List of necropoleis](/source/List_of_necropoleis) - [List of tombs and mausoleums](/source/List_of_tombs_and_mausoleums) - [Cemetery](/source/Cemetery) - [Columbarium](/source/Columbarium) - [Grave](/source/Grave_(burial)) - [Morgue](/source/Morgue) - [Cadaver monument](/source/Cadaver_monument) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-RenfrewBahn_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-RenfrewBahn_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-RenfrewBahn_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-RenfrewBahn_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-RenfrewBahn_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-RenfrewBahn_1-5) Renfrew, Colin; Bahn, Paul (2012). *Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice*. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0500292105. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ArièsDeath_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ArièsDeath_2-1) Ariès, Philippe (1981). *The Hour of Our Death*. Vintage Books. ISBN 978-0394751566. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-LloydEgypt_3-0)** Lloyd, Alan B. (2010). *A Companion to Ancient Egypt*. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-1405155984. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-ArnoldEgyptianTombs_4-0)** Arnold, Dieter (1991). *Building in Egypt: Pharaonic Stone Masonry*. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195063509. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-HawassPyramids_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-HawassPyramids_5-1) Hawass, Zahi (2003). *The Treasures of the Pyramids*. American University in Cairo Press. ISBN 978-9774248258. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-BudgeBookDead_6-0)** Budge, E.A. Wallis (1967). *The Egyptian Book of the Dead*. Dover Publications. ISBN 978-0486218663. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-CurlMausolea_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-CurlMausolea_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-CurlMausolea_7-2) Curl, James Stevens (2002). *The Egyptian Revival: Ancient Egypt as the Inspiration for Design Motifs in the West*. Routledge. ISBN 978-0415243267. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-BoardmanGreek_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-BoardmanGreek_8-1) Boardman, John (1995). *Greek Sculpture: The Classical Period*. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0500201985. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ToynbeeRoman_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ToynbeeRoman_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-ToynbeeRoman_9-2) Toynbee, Jocelyn M.C. (1971). *Death and Burial in the Roman World*. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0801839672. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Brown1981_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Brown1981_10-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Brown1981_10-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Brown1981_10-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Brown1981_10-4) Brown, Peter (1981). *The Cult of the Saints: Its Rise and Function in Latin Christianity*. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0226076225. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-BešlagićStećci_11-0)** Bešlagić, Šefik (1982). *Stećci: Kultura i umjetnost*. Veselin Masleša. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ElsnerArtDeath_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ElsnerArtDeath_12-1) Elsner, Jas (1998). *Imperial Rome and Christian Triumph: The Art of the Roman Empire A.D. 100–450*. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0192842015. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FloodIslamicShrines_13-0)** Flood, Finbarr B. (2001). *The Great Mosque of Damascus: Studies on the Makings of an Umayyad Visual Culture*. Brill. ISBN 978-9004116380. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-GrabarIslamicArchitecture_14-0)** Grabar, Oleg (1996). *The Shape of the Holy: Early Islamic Jerusalem*. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691038164. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-SilvermanEgyptianAfterlife_15-0)** Silverman, David P. (1991). *Religion in Ancient Egypt: Gods, Myths, and Personal Practice*. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0801483349. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Merueñas, Mark (4 November 2012). ["Where emperors sleep: Japan's keyhole-shaped burial mounds"](http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/280862/lifestyle/travel/where-emperors-sleep-japan-s-keyhole-shaped-burial-mounds). *GMA News Online*. Retrieved 11 January 2017. ## External links - Media related to [Tombs](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Tombs) at Wikimedia Commons v t e Death and mortality in art Themes All flesh is grass Carpe diem Consolatio Danse Macabre Death and the Maiden Lamentation of Christ Macabre Memento mori Mono no aware Sic transit gloria mundi Ubi sunt Personifications of death Vanitas Forms Architecture Cenotaph Memorial Tomb Music Funeral march Requiem Poetry Death poem Dirge Elegy Elegiac Pastoral elegy Keening Lament Obituary poetry Threnody Prose Epitaph Funerary text Tragedy Visual arts Calavera Funerary art Cadaver monument Death mask Gravestone Post-mortem photography Wreath Other Mummy Artwork Architecture Capela dos Ossos Capuchin Crypt Catacombs of Paris Sedlec Ossuary Skull Chapel Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo Film The Seventh Seal Music Danse macabre Death and Transfiguration Der Tod und das Mädchen Erlkönig Totentanz Painting Et in Arcadia ego Guercino Poussin Death and Fire Death and Life Death and the Maiden Death and the Miser Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May La Calavera Catrina Plague Pyramid of Skulls Roman Widow Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette Sleep and His Half-Brother Death The Ambassadors The Garden of Death The Shadow of Death The Three Ages of Man and Death The Triumph of Death Poetry "And death shall have no dominion" "Because I could not stop for Death" "Erlkönig" "Do not go gentle into that good night" Prose Ars moriendi Bardo Thodol Book of Job Book of the Dead Left Ginza Hamlet's soliloquy The Masque of the Red Death Authority control databases International FAST National United States 2 Japan Czech Republic Korea Israel Other NARA Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tomb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb?action=history)). 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