3D western profile of the Hypogeum of the Volumni, cut from a laser scan

Tablinum inside Hypogeum of the Volumni, in the northern end of the crypt

3D image of Tablinum inside Hypogeum of the Volumni, cut from a laser scan

Hypogeum or Hypogaeum (pl. hypogea) literally means "underground", from Greek hypo (under) and gaia (earth).^[1] It usually refers to an underground, pre-Christian temple or a tomb (Christian underground temples and tombs are called catacombs). In this respect it differs from dugout, souterrain, yaodong and fogou, which were not used for ritual purposes. Hypogea will often contain niches for cremated human remains or loculi for buried remains. It can also simply refer to any antique building or part of building built below ground. There was a series of underground tunnels under the colosseum where slaves and animals were kept ready to fight for the infamous gladitorial games. The animals and slaves would be let up through trapdoors under the sand covered arena at any time during a fight.

Examples

An early example of a hypogeum is found at the Minoan Bronze Age site of Knossos on Crete. Hogan notes this underground vault was of a beehive shape and cut into the soft rock.^[2]

See also

• Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni

External Links

• Hypogeum of the Volumnis digital media archive (creative commons-licensed photos, laser scans, panoramas), data from a University of Ferrara/CyArk research partnership

Line Notes

General references

• Curl, James Stevens [2006]. A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (Paperback), Second (in English), Oxford University Press, 880. ISBN 0-19-860678-8. 

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Hypogeum". Image Credit.

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