Cadaverous Decomposition as a Representation of the Soul’s Journey. Anthropological Evidence of a Funerary Ritual

Licata, Marta; Borgo, Melania; Badino, Paola; Iorio, Silvia

doi:10.3390/rel9090272

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…These words were taken from the Bible, more specifically from the first book of Maccabei (I Mac 12, 11), where the importance of the deceased's commemoration is emphasized. This tombstone closed the entrance of the putridarium , a hypogeal vaulted space, in which the corpse of the friars were temporarily placed in 16 vertical niches (Licata, Borgo, Badino, & Iorio, ), in a sit position on a wooden seat, with the back against the niche wall. This position was maintained fixed thanks to wooden planks at the chest and head level, which were nailed to the niche.…”

Section: Historical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

A probable case of subligamentous tuberculous spondylitis: The concealed body of theLate Modern Period(early 16th century to early 20th century),Franciscancrypt ofSt. AnthonyandSt. Eusebiuschurch,Lombardy,Italy

Larentis

Tonina

Tesi

et al. 2019

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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This paper presents a probable case of subligamentous tuberculous spondylitis (STBS), a rare form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, diagnosed in the skeleton of a middle‐aged male discovered in the ossuary of the Franciscan crypt of the St. Anthony and St. Eusebius church, which lies in north‐western Italy. The skeleton can be dated back between the 17th and 19th centuries. This rare type of tuberculosis was identified in the thoracic and lumbar spine, with no further evidences at the level of the cranial and other postcranial bones. The concomitance of osteoclastic and osteoblastic activities, scalloping, reactive bone formation area, anterior, and lateral ligaments ossification was observed and allowed us to perform a morphological STBS diagnosis. The subject presented here contributes to the literature related to the prevalence of tuberculosis in Italy during the last centuries. Moreover, we also focus our attention on some osteopathological criteria that can prove useful for the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

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Section: Historical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

A probable case of subligamentous tuberculous spondylitis: The concealed body of theLate Modern Period(early 16th century to early 20th century),Franciscancrypt ofSt. AnthonyandSt. Eusebiuschurch,Lombardy,Italy

Larentis

Tonina

Tesi

et al. 2019

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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“…Although in both cases the aim was the same, i.e. the achievement of skeletonization, their geographical distribution was different: the terresante were common only in Naples [5,6], while the scolatoi had a wider dif fusion, being present throughout southern Italy [4][5][6][7] (however, a few examples have also been documented in northern Italy, and isolated descriptions have also been reported in central Italy) [8,9]. Although certainly existing in the sixteenth century already [9], the greatest diffusion of these types of burial in Naples occurred in the eighteenth-nineteenth century.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The hypogea of the churches of Naples: Burials and cult of the dead

Guarino

2022

PoA

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An interesting mortuary practice widespread in Naples until the second half of the nineteenth century was the one housed in the hypogea located under the floor of churches and convents. These funerary crypts were structured according to two organizational models based on the double burial system: the terresante and the scolatoi, both of which aimed at favouring the decomposition of the corpses and reaching the state of a skeleton. According to the established procedures, once skeletonization was accomplished, the skulls were usually displayed on a cornice running along the walls of the hypogeum, while non-cranial bones were placed in a common ossuary. The foundation of the ritual was the idea of death perceived not as a sudden event but as a long-lasting process, during which the deceased went through a transitional phase, gradually passing from the earthly state to the hereafter. Indeed, the ultimate purpose of these funerary rituals was the liberation of the bones from the earthly element of the flesh, an indispensable condition to allow the definitive passage of the soul into the afterlife. This process also had to been exhibited, and, therefore, in these hypogea the decomposition of the corpse was displayed to visitors. Through the corpse’s progressive decomposition, the ritual was intended to visually symbolize the various stages of purification faced by the soul on its path towards the kingdom of the dead, a destination considered reached only when the skeletonization was complete, and the definitive burial carried out. This article briefly reviews the structural organization of these underground sepulchral chambers, the funerary practices held within and the worships which took root and developed within them.

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Secondary burials in Naples in the modern and contemporary age: A review

Guarino¹

2022

Ethics, Medicine and Public Health

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Cadaverous Decomposition as a Representation of the Soul’s Journey. Anthropological Evidence of a Funerary Ritual

Abstract: Our archaeological and anthropological investigations carried out inside the Crypt of the Franciscan Monastery in Azzio (Varese, Northern Italy) allowed us to discover a singular funerary practice of Franciscan friars. It consisted of a secondary burial practice.

Cited by 3 publications

References 1 publication

A probable case of subligamentous tuberculous spondylitis: The concealed body of theLate Modern Period(early 16th century to early 20th century),Franciscancrypt ofSt. AnthonyandSt. Eusebiuschurch,Lombardy,Italy

A probable case of subligamentous tuberculous spondylitis: The concealed body of theLate Modern Period(early 16th century to early 20th century),Franciscancrypt ofSt. AnthonyandSt. Eusebiuschurch,Lombardy,Italy

The hypogea of the churches of Naples: Burials and cult of the dead

Secondary burials in Naples in the modern and contemporary age: A review

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