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The Rock-Cut Tombs of Qizqapan, Iraqi Kurdistan: Median or Achaemenid?
O Creator of the material world, at what distance from the holy man (should the place for the dead body be)?" Ahura Mazda replied: "Three paces from the holy man". (Vend. 8. 6-7) In September 2009 CE, one of my relatives suggested that we...
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The Tombs of Goguryeo
Goguryeo (Koguryo) ruled northern Korea during the Three Kingdoms period from the 1st century BCE to 7th century CE, and the best evidence of the kingdom's prosperity and artistry can be found in the many surviving tombs of the period. The...
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The Royal Macedonian Tombs at Vergina
Excavations at Vergina in northern Greece in the late 1970s CE unearthed a cluster of tombs thought to be the burial site of Philip II (r. 359-336 BCE), the father of Alexander the Great (r. 336-323 BCE), with a wife interred in a vaulted...
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Tombs of the Kings, Cyprus [Tomb No 5]
Tomb No 5 of the Tombs of the Kings archaeological site in Cyprus. It had a colonnaded atrium and was one of the largest tombs discovered in the necropolis covering an area of 390 square metres. This fascinating archaeological site contains...
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Tombs of the Kings, Cyprus [Tomb No 3]
Tomb No 3 of the Tombs of the Kings archaeological site in Cyprus. It had a peristyle atrium surrounded on all sides by Doric columns and topped by a frieze of triglyphs and metopes. This fascinating archaeological site contains a set of...
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Tombs 21 & 22 of the Qasr al-Bint Necropolis in Hegra
Two tomb façades in Qasr al-Bint (Tombs 21 & 22), one of the necropolises of Hegra (Mada'in Salih) in modern-day Saudi Arabia. Tomb 22 (right) is the oldest dated façade in Hegra (along with Tomb 39). It was carved in 1 BCE, the 9th year...
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Tombs and Theatre at Xanthos
Tombs and Theatre at Xanthos. Photo by Peter Sommer Travels and republished with permission.
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A Gallery of Ancient Egyptian Tombs, Coffins, and Grave Goods
Ancient Egyptian burial practices were observed as early as the Predynastic Period in Egypt (c. 6000 to c. 3150 BCE) and continued through the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323-30 BCE), serving to not only provide the living with closure in saying goodbye...
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The Royal Tombs of Fontevraud Abbey
Fontevraud Abbey in the Pays de la Loire region of France was founded in 1101 by Robert D'Arbrissel. This area of France was then controlled by the English Crown. Eleanor of Aquitaine (l. c. 1122-1204) retired to the abbey in 1200, and she...
Definition
Tomb
A tomb is an enclosed space for the repository of the remains of the dead. Traditionally tombs have been located in caves, underground, or in structures designed specifically for the purpose of containing the remains of deceased human beings...