Under many lands near the Mediterranean Sea is a layer of soft stone called tufa. People of ancient times dug tunnels and rooms in this soft stone. These underground tunnels and rooms, called catacombs, were used to bury the dead.

Where catacombs are found

The most famous catacombs were created around the city of Rome, Italy. The word catacomb was first used to describe a Christian cemetery under the basilica (church) of St. Sebastian near Rome. The Christian saints Peter and Paul are said to have been buried there.

Most of the Christian catacombs of Rome were built between about AD 200 and 400. About 40 catacombs have been found in and around the city. Almost all of them are outside the ancient part of the city. The ancient Romans did not allow burial in neighborhoods where people lived.

Today the term catacomb is used mainly for the early Christian cemeteries of Rome. However, Jews and many other peoples also used catacombs in ancient times. The Etruscans, who lived in what is now Italy before the Romans, used catacombs that can still be found in parts of mainland Italy. Other catacombs are found on the islands of Malta and Sicily. Still others are found in Lebanon and near the Egyptian cities of Alexandria and Cairo.

In the catacombs

Stairways led from ground level to the catacombs below. The catacombs were long, narrow passageways with rows of rectangular graves carved out of the rock along the sides. Several rows of graves were stacked from floor to ceiling. Rooms along the passageways were used for burying Christian martyrs (people who suffered and died for their faith) or several members of a family. Some of the rooms—such as those in the catacomb of St. Sebastian—had prayers scratched onto the walls. Some catacombs also had paintings of religious symbols or images of saints and prophets on the walls.

The catacombs were used mainly for burial and for ceremonies remembering the dead. Families held funeral feasts in the catacombs on the day of burial and on anniversaries of the person's death. Historians once thought that the Romans hid from invading armies in the catacombs. They also believed that Christians used the catacombs as secret churches before their religion became legal in the Roman Empire in AD 313. Many historians now doubt these theories. They have not found evidence that Christians used the catacombs as a hiding place. They also point out that the catacombs contain no rooms large enough for worship services.

Loss and rediscovery

In the centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire in 476, invading armies destroyed many of the catacombs. By about the 9th century the catacombs were no longer used, and during the Middle Ages they were forgotten. They were rediscovered by accident in 1578.

Since the rediscovery, people have explored and studied the catacombs for the clues they offer about ancient peoples. Historians study the prayers and decorations on the walls. Church scholars cherish the paintings as rare examples of early Christian art. Some Roman catacombs are open to the public as tourist attractions.