Columbarium

Columbarium (plural columbaria, columbariums) refers to a structure designed to hold the cremated remains of multiple individuals. The term derives from the Latin columba, meaning “dove” or “pigeon,” because the remains are placed within individual recesses that resemble those of dovecots. Columbaria were first built in Italy during the late 1st century B.C.E. and usually housed the cremated remains of nonélite members of Roman society. They were sometimes associated with the household of patrician Roman families or funerary clubs (associations that guaranteed burial for [Page 210]their members). Roman columbaria were a purely urban phenomenon and, although examples have been excavated throughout Italy, nowhere have they been found on the same scale or in the same numbers as the environs of Rome. When cremation was superseded by inhumation during the 2nd century C.E., columbaria fell out of use in Europe, reemerging as a feature of the cemetery environment only in the late 19th century as Europe and the United States once again embraced cremation.

Ancient Columbaria

Roman columbaria varied in size and, although some accommodated several hundred urns, most were relatively small, housing between 50 and 100. They are often described as subterranean chambers when, in fact, many had levels constructed above ground. In essence they comprised one or more rooms, their walls lined with small semicircular or rectangular niches (loculi). These niches were designed to house cinerary urns, either individually or in small groups. Below the loculus, space was reserved for a small inscribed plaque (titulus), which recorded the name and personal details of the individual(s) whose ashes were interred there. The space could also be painted with the same details rather than incurring the expense of an inscribed epitaph. This practice reflects the strong desire for commemoration that was held by all members of the Roman community, regardless of social status.

In some instances, the individual loculi were sealed with decorated plaster, marble, or tile, and sometimes the surrounding area was embellished with brightly colored frescoes and stucco to distinguish the niche and its occupants from the many others within the columbarium. Small mythological scenes and themes from nature, including flowers, fruit, and birds, were commonly selected for this purpose. The owners of each loculus were responsible for its decoration and this, along with the recording of names, occupations, and relationships in the epitaphs, sheds light on the lives, beliefs, and concerns of the people who used columbaria.

The best-preserved ancient examples of columbaria include those of the so-called Vigna Codini on the Via Appia, and the Columbarium of Pomponius Hylas, on the Via Latina, which were built during the early 1st century C.E. The three Vigna Codini columbaria contained the remains of many slaves and freedmen (former slaves) of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, including ex-slaves of Livia, wife of Augustus. Some wealthy patrons constructed columbaria specifically for their slaves and freedmen, such as that built by Statilius Taurus on the Via Praenestina, which accommodated over 700 burials. The inscribed dedications and epitaphs associated with individual burials within these structures occasionally record heirs and other family members, consequently revealing much about household, personal, and conjugal relationships among many of the important families of the Augustan period. The fact that many slaves and freedmen of the same household were interred together reflects the perceived importance of continued membership of the specific identity group to which they had belonged in life. In other instances, columbaria were built by a cooperative body or burial club (collegium), with loculi allotted or sold either individually or in groups. The individuals interred within these columbaria may have shared no connection in life.

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