A necropolis (pl.: necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli[1]) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greekνεκρόπολιςnekropolis (lit.'city of the dead').
The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distance from a city, as opposed to tombs within cities, which were common in various places and periods of history. They are different from grave fields, which did not have structures or markers above the ground. While the word is most commonly used for ancient sites, the name was revived in the early 19th century and applied to planned city cemeteries, such as the Glasgow Necropolis. Over 500 miles south of Cairo, the quarry site called Gebel el Silsila was a crucial resource for ancient Egyptian builders. This quarry, located on both sides of the Nile River, supplied sandstone used for constructing some of Egypt's most famous monuments, such as the temples at Karnak and Luxor. Thousands of years ago, the nearby community was known as Kheny or Khenu, which translates to "Rowing Place" in ancient Egyptian. Archaeologists, led by Maria Nilsson, found an ancient Egyptian cemetery hidden in the quarry. This site included a temple and several large tombs.[2]
Probably the best-known ancient Egyptian necropolis is the Giza Necropolis. Made famous by the Great Pyramid of Giza, which was included in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the necropolis includes three major pyramid tombs of Old Kingdom kings and several smaller pyramids related to the royal burials, as well as mastabas (a typical royal tomb of the early Dynastic period) and tombs and graveyards for lesser personages.[citation needed]The pyramids at Giza, especially the Great Pyramid of Khufu, are awe-inspiring structures that have stood the test of time for thousands of years. They not only showcase the impressive religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians but also highlight their incredible skill in building and design.[3]
Other ancient Egyptian necropoleis of note are the necropolis of Saqqara, home to the Step Pyramid of Djoser and other royal burials; the necropolis of Dahshur, site of the Red Pyramid of Sneferu, the oldest "true" pyramid; and Abydos, site of a necropolis containing burials from the Predynastic through the Late Period. A pair of small necropoleis of Theban-style rock-cut tombs started to take shape in the wadis east of Akhetaten (modern Amarna) during the Amarna Period of the New Kingdom; while it appears that the tombs were not ultimately used for burials due to the collapse of the Amarna regime about 20 years after the foundation of Akhetaten, the tomb decorations provide much information about that era of ancient Egyptian history.
Etruria
Tumuli are placed along a street in the Banditaccia necropolis of Cerveteri, Italy.
The Etruscans took the concept of a "city of the dead" quite literally. The typical tomb at the Banditaccia necropolis at Cerveteri consists of a tumulus which covers one or more rock-cut subterranean tombs. These tombs had multiple chambers and were elaborately decorated like contemporary houses. The arrangement of the tumuli in a grid of streets gave it an appearance similar to the cities of the living.[4] The art historian Nigel Spivey considers the name cemetery inadequate and argues that only the term necropolis can do justice to these sophisticated burial sites.[5][6] Etruscan necropoli were usually located on hills or slopes of hills.[7]
Mycenae
In the Mycenean Greek period predating ancient Greece, burials could be performed inside the city. In Mycenae, for example, the royal tombs were located in a precinct within the city walls. The way the large stones fit together so perfectly in the round shape of the underground tomb is one of the most amazing building achievements of the Mycenaean Age.[8] This changed during the ancient Greek period when necropoleis usually lined the roads outside a city. There existed some degree of variation within the ancient Greek world however. Sparta was notable for continuing the practice of burial within the city.[9]
Persia
In ancient Persia, the region was home to many advanced civilizations, starting with the kingdom of Elam, which dates back to around 7200 BCE. Elam was one of the most developed societies of its time but was eventually overtaken by the Sumerians and later fully conquered by the Assyrians and the Medes. The Medes established the Median Empire (678–550 BCE), which was followed by the famous Persian Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BCE). This empire, known for its great achievements, was eventually conquered by Alexander the Great. Afterward, it became part of the Seleucid Empire (312–63 BCE), followed by Parthia (247 BCE–224 CE), and finally the Sassanian Empire (224–651 CE). The Sassanians were the last Persian rulers before the Muslim Arab conquest in the 7th century CE.[10]
Not far from Persepolis, you can find Naqsh-e Rostam, where Persian kings like Darius I and II, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes are buried in tombs carved into the cliffs.[11]Naqsh-e Rostam is an ancient necropolis located about 12 km (7.5 mi) northwest of Persepolis, in Fars Province, Iran. The oldest relief at Naqsh-i Rustam dates to c. 1000 BC. Though it is severely damaged, it depicts a faint image of a man with unusual headgear and is thought to be Elamite in origin. The depiction is part of a larger image, most of which was removed at the command of Bahram II. Four tombs belonging to Achaemenid kings are carved out of the rock face at a considerable height above the ground. The tombs are known locally as the "Persian crosses", after the shape of the facades of the tombs. Later, Sassanian kings added a series of rock reliefs below the tombs.
The site of Bin Tepe served as a necropolis for Sardis, the capital of the Lydian Empire. It consists of over 100 tumuli including the monumental Tumulus of Alyattes which was commented on by ancient writers including Herodotus and still marks the landscape today. Though Lydian elites also used other burial styles, tumuli are so numerous throughout Lydia that they are used to track settlement patterns. The style was adopted around 600 BC, likely inspired by similar Phrygian tombs at Gordion. It continued after the Persian conquest of Lydia, into the Hellenistic and Roman eras.[12](pp1121)[13][14]
Myra
Myra is an ancient city in Lycia that has two areas filled with rock-cut tombs. These tombs are carved into the cliffs and look like the fronts of temples. The two burial sites are called the river necropolis and the ocean necropolis. The ocean necropolis is located just northwest of the ancient theater.[15]
Rome
The 'Vila de Madrid' necropolis is located in Barcelona, Catalonia. The first archaeological digs happened in the 1950s and uncovered many graves along a side road that was part of the Roman city of Barcino's western cemetery.[16]
In more recent times, some cemeteries are also called necropolises because they look like cities made of above-ground tombs, especially in areas like New Orleans, where the ground is too wet for traditional burials.[1] The world's largest remaining operating necropolis from the Victorian era, for example, is Rookwood Necropolis, in New South Wales, Australia. A modern era example is Colma, California, United States. In a quiet valley known as the "City of Souls," Colma is a small town with about 1,600 living people but nearly 1.5 million buried in its cemeteries. Covering two square miles, the town is more about graves than homes. Funerals often cause the most traffic, and residents get automated alerts when big funeral processions are on the way[17] Colma's cemeteries hold a variety of fascinating people from history. There are governors, mayors, senators, and powerful businessmen nicknamed the Rice King, Cattle King, and Potato King.[17] You'll also find Civil War generals, famous architects, activists, artists, and even prisoners from Alcatraz. One unique burial is Phineas Gage, who survived a freak accident in 1848 when a 43-inch iron rod blasted through his head.[17]
^Greenewalt, Crawford (2011). "Sardis: A First Millenium B.C.E. Capital in Western Anatolia". In Steadman, Sharon; McMahon, Gregory (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Anatolia. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195376142.013.0052.
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