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Stories
No. 009
Read the story: The Capuchin Crypt in RomeThe Capuchin Crypt in Rome
The Capuchin Crypt in Rome holds the remains of about 3,700 people, mostly friars. Learn what the six chapels are, what the inscription says and how the museum visit works.
No. 008
Read the story: Are Crystal Skulls Real? What Museum Studies Found and Where They Came FromAre Crystal Skulls Real? What Museum Studies Found and Where They Came From
Where the famous crystal skulls came from, what museum studies of their tool marks show, the Mitchell-Hedges story and the legends that grew around them.
No. 007
Read the story: Famous Skull ArtFamous Skull Art
From Holbein's hidden skull to Warhol, Basquiat and Hirst, meet the most famous skull artworks, who made them, what they mean and which museums hold them.
No. 006
Read the story: Victorian Mourning JewelryVictorian Mourning Jewelry
What was Victorian mourning jewelry? Learn why people wore hair, jet and memento mori rings, what the symbols meant, how hairwork was made and where to see museum pieces.
No. 005
Read the story: The Danse MacabreThe Danse Macabre
The danse macabre is the medieval Dance of Death. Learn its meaning, the Paris and Lübeck murals, Holbein's woodcuts, Saint-Saëns's music and where surviving paintings can be seen.
No. 004
Read the story: Ossuaries Around the WorldOssuaries Around the World
From Sedlec and the Paris Catacombs to Lima and Houston, here is where ossuaries are, why communities built them and which ones exist in the United States.
No. 003
Read the story: What Was a Tzompantli? The Skull Racks of Tenochtitlan and What Archaeologists FoundWhat Was a Tzompantli? The Skull Racks of Tenochtitlan and What Archaeologists Found
A tzompantli was a Mexica skull rack beside the Templo Mayor. Learn what INAH found in Mexico City, what it meant, how to say it and where to see remains.
No. 002
Read the story: What Is a Kapala? The Skull Cup in Tibetan Buddhism and Hindu TantraWhat Is a Kapala? The Skull Cup in Tibetan Buddhism and Hindu Tantra
A kapala is a ritual skull cup used in Vajrayana Buddhism and Hindu tantra. Learn how it is used, what it symbolizes, where it comes from and which museums hold examples.
No. 001
Read the story: Skull Ring MeaningSkull Ring Meaning
What a skull ring means, from memento mori and mourning rings to biker, punk and rock style, plus Catholic and Masonic readings and the one ring with a dark history.