Nota: A tradução desta entrada está atualmente em revisão de qualidade, portanto parte do conteúdo é exibida temporariamente apenas em inglês.
Este verbete ainda não foi traduzido para o seu idioma, portanto o original é exibido abaixo.
ossuary
This term carries a heavy, somber connotation associated with death, antiquity, and the clinical preservation of remains. It is primarily used in archaeological, theological, or historical contexts, evoking images of subterranean vaults or ornate stone boxes. Unlike a cemetery or a grave, which focuses on the burial of a whole body, an ossuary specifically denotes the secondary storage of bones after the flesh has decayed.
In a religious or ritualistic sense, the word often implies a sacred or consecrated space, such as those found in Catholic traditions or ancient Jewish customs. It suggests a transition from individual mourning to a collective, anonymous state of remembrance where remains are grouped together.
Meanings
Examples
The ancient ossuary was carved from a single block of limestone.
We descended into the cool darkness of the underground ossuary.
The knight discovered a hidden ossuary beneath the ruins of the castle.
Is this small stone box an ossuary for a child.
The walls of the ossuary were lined with thousands of bleached skulls.
I wonder how many centuries of remains are stored in this ossuary.
The museum curator carefully dusted the surface of the Roman ossuary.
The city built a massive ossuary to make room in the overcrowded cemetery.