A mortuary cave or a mortuary sinkhole, alternately burial cave, burial sinkhole, or crevice interment, is a naturally formed cavity in the earth that is intentionally used by humans as a cache for dead bodies. There are a number of known Paleoindian mortuary sinkholes in Texas, [1] including Bering Sinkhole, [2] a number of mortuary caves have been identified in Virginia, [3] and at least one burial sinkhole was used by Native Hawaiians at what is now Kalaeloa Heritage Park. [4] The bodies of 30 Union soldiers killed at the Battle of Wilson's Creek during the American Civil War were initially deposited in a natural sinkhole; the bodies were later excavated and relocated to Springfield National Cemetery. [5]
{{
cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires |journal=
(
help)
A mortuary cave or a mortuary sinkhole, alternately burial cave, burial sinkhole, or crevice interment, is a naturally formed cavity in the earth that is intentionally used by humans as a cache for dead bodies. There are a number of known Paleoindian mortuary sinkholes in Texas, [1] including Bering Sinkhole, [2] a number of mortuary caves have been identified in Virginia, [3] and at least one burial sinkhole was used by Native Hawaiians at what is now Kalaeloa Heritage Park. [4] The bodies of 30 Union soldiers killed at the Battle of Wilson's Creek during the American Civil War were initially deposited in a natural sinkhole; the bodies were later excavated and relocated to Springfield National Cemetery. [5]
{{
cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires |journal=
(
help)