Tomb

A tomb (τύμβος tumbos) is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called immurement, although this word mainly means entombing people alive, and is a method of final disposition, as an alternative to cremation or burial. The word is used in a broad sense to encompass a number of such types of places of interment or, occasionally, burial, including: Architectural shrines – in Christianity, an architectural shrine above a saint's first place of burial, as opposed to a similar shrine on which stands a reliquary or feretory into which the saint's remains have been transferred Burial vault – a stone or brick-lined underground space for multiple burials, originally vaulted, often privately owned for specific family groups; usually beneath a religious building such as a Church Cemetery Churchyard Catacombs Chamber tomb Charnel house Church monument – within a church (or a tomb-style chest in a churchyard) may be a place of interment, but this is unusual; it may more commonly stand over the grave or burial vault rather than containing the actual body and therefore is not a tomb. Coemeterium Crypts – often, though not always, for interment; similar to burial vaults but usually for more general public interment Hypogeum tomb – stone-built underground structure for interment, such as the Kokh (tomb) – a rectangular rock-cut sloping space, running inward, like tunnels into rock, sufficiently high and wide to permit the admission of a corpse Martyrium – Mausoleum for the remains of martyrs, such as San Pietro in Montorio Mausoleum (including ancient pyramid in some countries) – external free-standing structure, above ground, acting as both monument and place of interment, usually for individuals or a family group Megalithic tomb (including Chamber tomb) – prehistoric place of interment, often for large communities, constructed of large stones and originally covered with an earthen mound Necropolis Ohel, a structure built around the grave or graves of Hasidic Rebbes, prominent rabbis, Jewish community leaders, and biblical figures in Israel and the diaspora Pillar tomb – a monumental grave.