Catacombs of Rome

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/catacombs-of-rome

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Catacombs of Rome?Approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) of tunnels documented
2. When was Catacombs of Rome built?Began in the 2nd century AD
3. What is the location?In and around Rome, Italy
4. Why did Romans build catacombs instead of burying people in the city?Roman law said burials inside the city walls were not allowed to keep the city clean and prevent disease. So the Romans dug tunnels outside the city to bury their dead.
5. Who used the catacombs?Christians, Jews, and people who followed Roman pagan religions all used the catacombs. Sometimes they shared the same tunnels, showing how diverse the city was.

Tufa: A type of porous volcanic rock, easily excavated, common in the Roman Campagna.
Loculi: Rectangular niches carved into the walls of catacombs for the burial of bodies.
Iconography: The visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these.