Repositories of Bones, Part Two: The Winding Underworld of Catacombs

Narrow subterranean corridors interlace for miles, linking vestibules, chambers, and hidden entrances. Ceilings and temperatures down here are chilly, and damp dimness pervades the disorienting, psychologically confrontational environment.

Both ossuaries and catacombs originally served society in practical but distinct ways, providing alternatives to standard practice when burial space ran out. Catacombs (the name comes from the Latin phrase for “beside the quarry”,) were built from disused underground caverns and passages reclaimed for new graves, unlike ossuaries where bones were placed after the decomposing elsewhere.

This extinct form of burial from ancient death care is unique — many sites remain accessible and allow close-up examination by scholars, death care professionals, and the general public. Once relatively common across Europe and surrounding regions, catacombs today are primarily tourist sites, macabre spectacles in high demand.

Famous examples

When we hear “catacombs” these days, the widely-known site in Paris almost always springs to mind first, though interestingly it’s relatively small, as catacombs go. About twenty meters of corridors and larger chambers display the skulls and long bones of millions of individuals in elaborate arrangements, smaller bones tossed behind the ornate facade.

The place is slightly misnamed. From the official website:
The site was consecrated as the “Paris Municipal Ossuary” on April 7, 1786, and, from that time forward, took on the mythical name of “Catacombs”, in reference to the Roman catacombs, which had fascinated the public since their discovery.

Because of health problems in the city limits, Paris cemeteries which had been consistently in use for a full thousand years (the city itself has been around for 2,000) were emptied, and occupants removed to caverns of a municipal quarry. This is what happens with any proper ossuary. Other catacombs are underground primary burial places where the newly dead were placed.

Why the deliberate misnaming? Originators thought the term more poetic and believed it would support acceptance, perhaps hoping to offset some of the scandal of its creation. Over a period of years during the mid-1700s, remains from the largest, oldest cemeteries in the city were relocated at night, taking place under cover of darkness to avoid public outrage.

History

The first catacombs on record have Christian associations. They began with the church as resting places for clergy and were intended for reverence or contemplation. As with ossuaries, land shortages and burial restrictions contributed to their creation.

Catacombs were once widely used, and they were still commonly added to up through the 1800s. There’s a long and illustrative history of their active use. These places present a spectacle of human mortality that still fascinates widely, and anyone can visit the real thing in Italy to see it firsthand — Palermo, San Sebastiano, and Domitilla which dates back to 120 AD. And San Callisto, one of the originals, boasts a crypt of popes.

Death spaces across time

Such truly extraordinary places offer an intimate view of a bygone era’s relationship with mortality. These are death spaces straight from history; today’s more perfunctory, technical equivalents of prep rooms, cemeteries, even columbaria and memorial halls or regionally astonishing examples in places like New Orleans, don’t have the same sort of architectural gravitas and expression. It’s an authentically mesmerizing view of the changes in social relationships with mortality and death care practices over time.

Repositories of Bones, Part One: Ossuaries

Ossuaries can be, of course, elaborate and ornate places, sites of unique tribute to the deceased. The artistic displays of relocated human bones in ossuaries are often stunning arrangements with an impact that is not soon forgotten, as much for aesthetic force as its statement on the fleeting nature of mortality.

Originating as constructions intended to solve the logistical problem of graveyard overcrowding, ossuaries are not all fancy — some are more workaday collections, mass graves less of art than of preservation.

And ossuaries are distinct from (though simultanously similar in character to) catacombs, primarily in layout and set-up, though also a bit in nature: typically smaller rooms or buildings above-ground, ossuaries hold the bones of far fewer people than catacombs. More elaborate subterranean structures that range widely, sometimes sprawling and extending over hectares of distance, catacombs may house the remains of many thousands.

There are plentiful examples of both types of sites all over the world, though these days cremation has mostly eliminated their practical necessity. Still the prospect fascinates many, judging by the sheer volume of annual visitors to the world’s most well-known examples.

Widely practiced

Ossuaries can be found in especial abundance in Europe, where the most famous still attract tremendous numbers of visitors. Today there are still many accessible examples.

Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic is a church rather than a mass grave; it first became popular before the plague in Europe and was considered a holy place to be buried after an abbot brought a container of dirt from the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified. After he spread its contents on the earth in the area, many desired to be buried at the location. Today, stunning arrangements of deconstructed skeletons arranged into elaborate designs inside a temple create a mystical, enchanting effect.

Another chapel is the Palace of Bones in Evora, Prague, which dates back to the 17th century. A trademark of the city of Evora and housing 5,000 human skulls, this UNESCO world heritage site bears a welcoming message: “We bones that are here, for yours we wait.” There’s Poland, with the Chapel in Czermna, holding the remains of some 21,000 souls. And don’t even get us started on Germany; examples here are thick on the ground, so to speak. If youre interested, though, don’t pass it up. There are even some in the United States from the period before colonization.

Ossuaries stand as a reminder that our lives and deaths are shaped by space, time, and circumstance. Whether ornate or austere, these places reflect a pragmatic reverence and a spiritual sense of obligation to the traces of human lives we recognize as significant.

Each skull, each stacked femur, speaks to a long lineage of grief, practicality, and beauty shaped from necessity. The walls echo with more than bones: memory, culture, and the enduring instinct to care for our dead, even when the means of doing so take forms we no longer need, but sense and honor. Beauty is a small price to pay when the placement of names and identities is no longer possible.

Losing a loved one is never easy. The grieving process comes with many emotions, from sadness to uncertainty. Choosing the right way to honor their memory can feel overwhelming.

The National Funeral Directors Association 2024 Cremation and Burial report found that the cremation rate is expected to reach 82.1% by 2045. But what remains after cremation has taken place? Those left behind to grieve may be wondering how much of their loved one remains.

Understanding what happens to bones during cremation can help bring clarity during a difficult time. From the breakdown of soft tissues to bone transformation in cremation, each step plays a role in the creation of the final cremains.

Explore more about the steps of the cremation process explained below.

What Happens to Bones During Cremation: Moisture Evaporation

Moisture evaporation is the first step in the cremation process. According to ThoughtCo., the average adult body contains between 50% to 65% water, so this step is essential for preparing the body for further breakdown.

When the body enters the cremation chamber, the heat begins to rise rapidly. As temperatures increase, the water content in the body starts to evaporate.

The intense heat causes the moisture to vaporize, leaving behind the solid tissues. This stage happens quickly, within the first few minutes of the process.

It’s an important part because it prepares the body for the breakdown of soft tissues and bone changes in cremation.

Soft Tissue Combustion

Soft tissue combustion follows moisture evaporation in the cremation process. As the temperature inside the chamber rises, the body’s soft tissues, such as muscles, organs, and skin, begin to burn away.

This process occurs at temperatures between 1,400 to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. A cremation chamber can reach a maximum temperature of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (HowStuffWorks).

High temperatures cause the organic matter to break down into gases, which are released into the chamber. Over time, all the soft tissues are consumed by the intense heat, leaving only the bones behind.

The combustion of soft tissues is a crucial step that prepares the body for the final transformation of bones into fragments that will eventually be processed into cremains.

Bone Shrinkage Due to Heat

A key part of what happens to bones during cremation is that bones shrink due to extreme heat. High temperatures cause the water and organic material inside bones to evaporate.

Because of this, the dense mineral structure contracts. The loss of collagen makes bones more fragile. Though they shrink slightly, they do not disappear completely.

Instead, they turn porous and may develop cracks. This shrinkage, along with calcination, contributes to the breakdown of the skeletal structure.

The extent of shrinkage varies depending on factors like bone density, heat intensity, and the duration of the cremation process.

Dehydration and Brittleness

During cremation, bones undergo extreme dehydration. High temperatures strip away all moisture and leave them completely dry. This is a crucial phase of what happens to bones during cremation.

Without hydration, the internal structure weakens and becomes brittle. The loss of organic components makes the bones more fragile. They become increasingly porous which causes them to lose their natural strength and overall structural integrity.

As heat exposure continues, the skeletal remains grow delicate and prone to breakage. The once-dense bones now crumble under minimal force.

This brittleness ensures they will easily fragment later in the process. By the end of cremation, only fragile, calcified bone structures remain.

Reduction to Fragments

When the heat intensifies it leads to the next stage in the cremation and bone fragments process. Bones that were once solid start to break down into pieces.

Reducing the bone to fragments is a natural stage. However, the process is not always uniform. Some bones fragment more quickly than others, depending on their density.

The intense heat causes them to lose their cohesive structure, breaking into irregular, jagged fragments. These fragments vary in size, from small pieces to larger shards.

After exposure to high temperatures, the bones are no longer intact but are reduced to a form that is easier to process into a fine ash-like consistency later on.

Color Change

Color changes in the bones are also significant as they undergo the cremation process. At first, bones may appear brown or gray due to the burning of organic material. As the heat continues, the bones lighten, turning pale or almost white.

This shift in bone transformation in cremation happens because minerals like calcium phosphate become more visible. The burning away of moisture and organic compounds leads to this visual change. The more intense the heat, the lighter the bones become.

The end result is bones that are light gray or white. It indicates that organic matter has been consumed and what remains after cremation is now composed primarily of minerals.

Cooling Period

The bone fragments must cool after coming out of the cremation oven before they can be handled further. The high heat in the chamber causes the bones to become extremely hot, making them unsafe to touch immediately.

Permitting a cooling period allows the fragments to return to room temperature. Doing so ensures that they can be processed properly. Cooling also prevents damage to the equipment used in further processing.

Once cooled, the bone fragments are easier to handle and more stable for the next stage. This crucial step in the cremation process ensures that the remains are safely prepared for the final processing stages and the collection of the cremated remains.

Variation in Bone Types

Bones vary in density which can affect how they respond to heat during cremation. Larger bones, like the femur, for example, are thicker and denser. They require more heat and time to break down as these bones often remain intact for longer before fragmenting.

In contrast, smaller bones, such as those in the hands and feet, are less dense and break apart more quickly. The composition of each bone also plays a role.

Denser bones resist heat longer, while lighter, less mineral-rich bones fragment faster. This variation creates a diverse range of bone fragments. As a result, it adds to the complexity of what remains after cremation.

Metal and Implant Removal

Metal items, such as medical implants, dental work, and prosthetics, must be carefully removed from the remains. The metal removal process is essential for a thorough and clean cremation so that only organic remains are left behind.

These materials do not burn during cremation and can interfere with the final cremains. Specialized tools, including magnets, help to search for and extract any metal fragments from the bone material. Cremation and bone fragments are meticulously checked to guarantee all metal is separated.

This procedure prevents any metal from contaminating the final remains. Once this step completes, the bone fragments are ready for the next processing step.

Processing in a Cremulator

After cooling, the bone fragments go into a machine called a cremulator. This machine processes the fragments into a fine, uniform consistency. The cremulator grinds the fragments and breaks them down into smaller, sand-like particles.

The process ensures that all bone material reduces to a manageable form. Larger fragments, which may remain after the initial cremation, are thoroughly crushed.

Taking this step is essential for transforming the remains into what remains after cremation. The result is a fine powder, often referred to as cremains. This is the powdery substance that is most familiar to those receiving their loved ones’ ashes.

Placement in an Urn

Once the bone fragments have processed into fine cremains, they are ready for placement in an urn. The cremains, now a powder-like substance, are carefully collected and transferred. The urn serves as a final resting place for the remains.

An urn allows families to keep their loved one’s memory close. Urns come in various materials and designs, from simple containers to elaborate keepsake urns. Families can choose an urn that best reflects the personality or wishes of the deceased.

The cremains are then placed inside the urn and sealed. This preserves the remains for safekeeping or eventual burial, as per the family’s wishes.

Other Ways to Use Cremains

Cremains offer many meaningful ways to honor a loved one. In addition to using an urn container for storage, you can transform cremains into unique, sentimental items like cremation jewelry and cremation art glass.

Cremation jewelry, such as necklaces, bracelets, or rings, allows families to carry a small portion of their loved one’s remains with them at all times. These pieces can be custom-designed to reflect personal tastes and memories.

Similarly, cremation art glass involves mixing the cremains with molten glass to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind sculptures or ornaments. These glass pieces serve as lasting reminders of the loved one, blending artistry with remembrance.

Both options offer meaningful ways to keep a loved one’s memory alive in a personal, tangible form.

Trust Your Cremation Needs to Lone Star Cremation Today

Cremation is a fascinating and complex process. Knowing what happens to bones during cremation helps us understand the transformation from body to ashes. This can provide comfort to those grieving and offer a sense of closure and clarity about the process involved in honoring their loved ones.

Lone Star Cremation is your trusted source for cremation needs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 2004. We offer a modern and affordable alternative to traditional funeral homes with compassionate, professional, and efficient services.

Contact Lone Star Cremation today for more information.