Editing Catacombs of Rome (section)

== Precursors ==
[[File:Roman Sarcophagus.jpg|thumb|Carved Roman [[sarcophagus]]]]
The [[Etruscan civilization]] dominated a territory including the area which now includes Rome from perhaps 900 to 100 BC. Like many other European peoples, it had buried its dead in excavated underground chambers, such as the Tomb of the Capitals, and less complex [[Tumulus|tumuli]]. In contrast, the original Roman custom had been [[cremation]] of the human body, after which the burnt remains were kept in a pot, urn, or ash-chest, often deposited in a [[columbarium]] or ''dovecote''. Rome faced two problems in the 2nd century CE: overpopulation and a lack of land. The city was growing, and many of the buildings were four or five stories tall. Since burials were not allowed inside the city walls, and early Christians did not agree with the pagan practice of cremating their dead, communal underground cemeteries provided a practical alternative.<ref name="worldhistory">{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1358/an-ancient-city-beneath-rome-visiting-the-catacomb/|title=An Ancient City Beneath Rome: Visiting The Catacombs of Priscilla|website=World History Encyclopedia}}</ref> From about the 2nd century AD, inhumation (burial of unburnt human remains) became customary, either in graves or, for those who could afford them, in [[sarcophagi]], often elaborately carved. By the 4th century, burial had overtaken cremation as the usual practice, and the construction of tombs had grown greater and spread throughout the empire. Jews and Christians preferred burial due to the idea of preserving the dead body for the resurrection. Considerable tracts of the ancient roads leading out of Rome and other Roman cities, like the [[Via Appia]] to this day, had monumental tombs running alongside them. These would inevitably cost a fortune to construct, whereas clearly in digging out of the catacombs would be less expensive. 

Despite widespread popular modern ideas, these tunnels were probably not used for regular worship at first, but simply for burial. However, extending pre-existing Roman customs, memorial services, and celebrations of the anniversaries of Christian [[martyr]]s took place there. There are sixty known subterranean burial chambers in Rome. They were built outside the walls along main [[Roman roads]], like the Via Appia, the [[Via Ostiense]], the [[Via Labicana]], the [[Via Tiburtina]] and the [[Via Nomentana]]. Names of the catacombs—like [[St. Calixtus]] and St. Sebastian, which is alongside Via Appia—refer to martyrs that may have been buried there. However, about 80% of the excavations used for Christian burials date to after the time of the persecutions.<ref> F. van der Meer, ''Early Christian Art'', Faber and Faber, 1967, p. 19</ref>