The ancient Egyptians had complicated relationships with animals. They kept a wide range of pets, from cats and dogs to hippos and falcons, and many household pets were mummified and buried with their owners. Animals were also mummified at an “industrial scale,” sold to pilgrims who offered the mummies to the gods. One catacomb at […]
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Père-Lachaise Cemetery Hailed the Most Visited Cemetery in the World
Père-Lachaise Cemetery, formal name Cimetiere de l’Est (“Cemetery of the East”), cemetery and park located on the northeast side of Paris, France. Situated on some 110 acres (44.5 hectares), amid more than 5,000 trees, it is both the largest park and the largest cemetery in Paris. Estimates concerning the number of people buried there vary […]
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Rare Spider Hides Out in London Cemetery Vaults for 150 Years
A rare species of orb weaver spider, Meta bourneti, turned up in the vaults of London’s Highgate Cemetery where it may have been lying low for the past 150 years. As an orb weaver, the species requires total darkness, so archeologists think the tombs made a perfect hideout for the spider, which normally lives in […]
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Buried Atop a Bed of Flowers
Sometime during our species’ ancient history, we began thinking about the bodies of our deceased family members and friends in a different way—as beings with emotional value that deserve ceremony respect, rather than simply as dead carcasses. Other animals simply leave their dead in place, and our earlier ancestors either did the same or buried […]
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Memorials, Monuments, and Museums Dedicated to WWI Throughout the World
Today, memorials, monuments and museums dedicated to WWI can be found in all of the combatant countries. From a rose garden in Ireland to vast war cemeteries built on or near the major battlefields, these sites ensure that the memory of the war and the sacrifices of those who lost their lives will never fade. […]
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A Resting Place That’s Still Active
Not far from the Harvard University campus, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Mt. Auburn Street is busy and clogged with traffic during the morning rush hour as commuters and their cars creep across the urban landscape of auto shops, supermarkets, and liquor stores. But as I turn into the Egyptian Revival gateway of Mount Auburn Cemetery, a […]
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North Huntingdon woman fundraising for Wreaths Across America event
Each year, volunteers across the country donate their time to place wreaths at the headstones of veterans at cemeteries across the country, most notably at Arlington National Cemetery. The organization Wreaths Across America provide a number of volunteers with wreaths to place at their local cemeteries and this year a local woman is fundraising to add […]
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Illinois cemetery is historical prairie land
When a person is asked to envision a cemetery, many think of large headstones, in single-file rows, spread out over freshly manicured grass. Ideal and serene and peaceful. But one cemetery is just the opposite and is a historical throwback to the time when settlers were buried there. Voight Pauper Cemetery, which is located in Otter […]
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NFL team visits Arlington National Cemetery
The NFL has a long-standing of supporting and honoring our troops. From performing the National Anthem at the beginning of the game featuring a Color Guard from all branches of the military to Halftime events that spotlight the troops, the NFL makes it a point to show appreciation for all our service men and women […]
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Teen ecologists study cemeteries
With urban areas expanding more and more every day, ecological studies have changed, specifically how animals interact with these urban areas. One area to study are large city cemeteries and that’s what some teens with the Project TRUE (Teens Researching Urban Ecology) were helping with in New York City this summer. Students went to a number of parks […]
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