Buzz
The sight of deceased individuals and skeletons is not something we typically associate with tourist spots—at least, not in most cases. While certain locations are known for housing human remains, the majority are not. Still, some vacation spots hide the bones or bodies of the departed within their grounds, adding an eerie element to the journey.
Certain attractions subtly house the bodies of the deceased, often unnoticed by visitors. Meanwhile, in other locations, the remains are plainly visible, treated like any other exhibit. Here are ten intriguing destinations that feature human remains.
10. Mount Everest
The summit of Mount Everest is home to numerous deceased climbers. On the northern slope, the bodies are so prevalent that it has come to be known as Rainbow Ridge, a reference to the vibrant colors of the clothing and equipment worn by the many individuals, including tourists and Sherpa guides, who have died there. Although the exact number of bodies is uncertain, estimates from 2015 suggested that over 200 had been left behind.
One of the most recognized corpses on Everest is that of Tsewang Paljor, who perished in a 1996 blizzard. Known as 'Green Boots' due to his distinctive green footwear, Paljor’s body remains frozen on the mountain. His final resting place is in an area now called Green Boots’ Cave, which has become a frequent stop for climbers making their descent from the summit.
Climbers often leave the bodies of the deceased behind on Everest, primarily due to the high risks and costs involved in recovery operations. It requires the assistance of six to eight Sherpas to retrieve a body, which is typically frozen and can weigh up to twice its original weight. These retrieval efforts are dangerous and expensive, with costs reaching thousands of dollars.
9. Yellow River
The Yellow River in China is often a grim resting place for those who have taken their own lives, drowned while swimming, or been disposed of after being murdered. With the government showing little interest in retrieving these bodies, enterprising individuals like Wei Xinpeng have stepped in, making a living by recovering the cadavers for a fee.
Xinpeng has identified a footbridge where bodies become trapped, unable to pass beneath. Armed with his boat, he paddles to the bridge, retrieving any corpses that have become caught. He stores the bodies in a secluded cove before placing ads in the newspaper to notify families about the remains.
Families seeking answers can pay a small fee to identify if the body is a missing relative. If they confirm the identity, they are charged an additional $500 to take possession of the remains. By 2010, Xinpeng had discovered 500 bodies over the course of seven years. Nine years later, one can only speculate how many more he has encountered.
8. Catacombs of Paris
In the 18th century, the city of Paris faced a growing issue of overcrowded cemeteries. To resolve this, the city council decided to transform the vast underground quarries beneath Paris into catacombs, where they relocated the remains of over six million people who had once been buried in various cemeteries throughout the city.
When the skulls and bones were first transported into the catacombs, they were simply discarded. Over time, however, workers began to carefully arrange the remains, creating intricate and artistic displays of the bones and skulls.
Many visitors never see the millions of bones and skulls that are scattered along the 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) of tunnels included in the tour. The tunnels are accessed by a staircase that leads deeper into the catacombs. At the end of the tour, another staircase leads back to the upper levels. By the time they finish, tourists are often covered in bone dust.
7. Museum of London
The Museum of London houses around 20,000 skeletons in an underground vault, hidden from public view. This area, known as the Centre for Human Bioarchaeology, is encased in concrete walls. It is thought to contain 'the largest single collection of stratified human remains anywhere in the world in one city.'
The skeletons housed in the Museum of London date back to the period of Roman rule in Britain, stretching all the way to the 19th century. These remains are kept in cardboard boxes, each labeled 'human skeleton' or, in the case of infants, 'human infant skeleton.' The museum preserves these bodies for the purpose of studying the history of London.
For example, historians have discovered that people from the Middle Ages had better dental health than those from the Age of Discovery, after studying their skeletal remains. The latter group suffered from poor teeth due to their high sugar consumption.
6. Roopkund Lake
Roopkund Lake, located in Uttarakhand, India, is famous for the skeletons that surround it. The lake is often covered by ice, but as the ice melts—something that happens frequently—tourists are confronted with a haunting sight: over 200 human skeletons scattered along its shores.
The skeletons were first uncovered in 1942, during World War II. The skulls and shoulders showed distinct dents, suggesting the victims had been struck by something from above. Initially, the British believed they were the remains of Japanese soldiers who had tried to infiltrate India.
However, upon further examination, it was determined that the skeletons were too ancient to belong to the Japanese. Historians returned to the site in 2004 and confirmed that the remains belonged to two groups of people who perished in a deadly hailstorm around AD 850.
One group was likely a family or tribe, while the other consisted of their porters or guides. The group had been traveling through the area when they were caught in the storm. With no shelter available, they succumbed to the relentless barrage of hailstones, each the size of a cricket ball.
5. Pompeii
Mount Vesuvius erupted around noon on August 24, AD 79. The eruption sent a cloud of hot ash into the sky, raining down on the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The ash smothered people and buildings, blocking doors, causing roofs to collapse, and filling the streets, effectively trapping the residents and preventing their escape.
While many people braved the falling ash and managed to flee, countless others stayed behind, hiding in their homes, covering their heads with pillows in fear. Those who survived the ash and the collapsing roofs were not so fortunate the next morning when a devastating pyroclastic flow surged down the slopes of the mountain.
Pompeii remained lost to history until its rediscovery in 1738. Excavators quickly set to work and discovered that the remains of those killed in the AD 79 eruption were surrounded by voids in the shape of their bodies. In an effort to preserve the scene, they began filling these voids with plaster of Paris.
Today, hundreds of plaster casts exist of those who perished in the catastrophic eruption. In addition to the human remains, there are casts of a pig and a dog, frozen in time. The casts capture the expressions and details of both the people and animals, preserving their final moments.
As of 2015, approximately 1,150 bodies have been uncovered in Pompeii. However, historians estimate that over 2,000 people lost their lives in the eruption. Given that only three-quarters of Pompeii has been excavated, many more skeletons likely remain buried beneath the ruins.
4. Sac Uayum
A cenote is a natural sinkhole filled with water, formed when the weak limestone ground collapses, revealing the cavern beneath. The Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is home to many cenotes, which are popular tourist destinations. However, the Sac Uayum cenote is particularly notable due to its eerie contents: the remains of both humans and animals.
The Sac Uayum cenote was feared by the ancient Maya, and the local population continues to avoid it, following various folktales cautioning against entering the site. In 2013, a team of archaeologists, led by Bradley Russell, ventured into the cenote, defying the warnings in an effort to investigate its mysteries.
The team discovered the cenote was filled with the skulls and bones of both humans and cattle. While they uncovered 15 skulls, they suspect there are many more hidden. Some of the skulls were found to be flattened, suggesting they belonged to members of the Mayan civilization. Although the team believes that the cattle may have fallen into the cenote, the exact cause of the humans' deaths remains unclear.
The archaeologists ruled out the idea that the cenote served as a cemetery or that the humans were used for ritual sacrifice. They theorize that the bodies may have been placed in the cenote temporarily, possibly due to Mayan beliefs in reincarnation. Another possibility is that these individuals were plague victims, discarded to prevent the spread of infection.
The Tower of London has a rich and complex history, dating back centuries and serving as a royal fortress, prison, and symbol of power.
King Edward IV of England passed away on April 9, 1483. His young son, Edward V, succeeded him as king. However, due to his age of just 13, his uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was appointed as the protector until the young king came of age.
Richard, Duke of Gloucester, soon grew ambitious and sought to claim the throne for himself. He imprisoned both Edward V and his younger brother, Richard, Duke of York, in the Tower of London. Richard then declared that Edward V could not be king, claiming he was an illegitimate son of Edward IV.
In July 1483, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was crowned as King Richard III. Meanwhile, the two young princes, Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, mysteriously vanished. Many speculate that Richard III ordered their deaths to secure his position on the throne.
Over the years, several human remains have been discovered within the Tower of London. Between 1603 and 1614 (or possibly as late as 1647, according to some reports), the skeletons of two children were found inside a walled-off room, placed on a table.
Initially, the skeletons were thought to belong to the princes, but doubts arose when experts determined that they were more likely to belong to children between six and eight years old. In 1619, another body was discovered, and it was believed to be one of the brothers until it was revealed to be the remains of an ape.
In 1674, two more skeletons were found beneath a staircase. Between 1830 and 1840, additional remains were uncovered when the moat surrounding the Tower was drained. Another body was discovered in 1977, but carbon-dating showed it was from the Iron Age. The skeletons of the royal brothers, however, have never been found.
2. Sedlec Ossuary
The Sedlec Ossuary, also known as The Bone Church, is located in the Czech Republic and houses the remains of between 40,000 and 70,000 people. These bones are not hidden but displayed in public, where they are crafted into various artistic creations such as pyramids, candle-holders, and a chandelier made entirely of human skulls and bones.
The history of the ossuary dates back to the 13th century when a monk returned from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem with soil from the holy land. He spread this soil over the Sedlec cemetery, leading people from across the Czech Republic and surrounding kingdoms to wish to be buried there. Over time, more than 30,000 individuals were laid to rest in the cemetery, which eventually ran out of space.
The city decided to relocate the remains into a crypt, allowing space for newer burials in the cemetery. This crypt is known as the Sedlec Ossuary. In 1870, a woodworker named Frantisek Rint transformed the skeletons into artistic creations, using the bones to craft intricate designs. Among his notable works is the iconic chandelier. He also meticulously bleached the bones, ensuring they all had a uniform color.
1. The Great Wall Of China
The Great Wall of China stretches for approximately 21,000 kilometers (13,000 miles) in total, and it is perhaps the most renowned structure from ancient China. Its construction was initiated by various emperors, with the first phase under Qin Shi Huang around 221 BC. However, the majority of the remaining sections were built during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).
During the construction of the wall under the command of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the workforce was mainly comprised of convicts and soldiers. It is estimated that around 400,000 laborers perished while working on the wall. Many of these workers are believed to have been buried within the wall itself.
