Colombarium

Ancient columbarium in Tarquinia (central Italy), near the archaeological site of the Etruscan necropolis of Monterozzi. A columbarium is a burial chamber in the walls of which were loculi or niches for storing cinerary urns; so called in modern times because of the similarity of the niches to the small compartments of a dovecote (columbarium from columba, 'dove'). The origin of the columbarium is uncertain and the problem of whether the monumental arrangement of urn deposits was a Roman or Etruscan invention remains unsolved. In any case, the oldest examples found so far seem to be those of some localities in central-southern Etruria, which date from between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC. C. (Photo by: Marco Scataglini/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)