Ruth Gomez, age 13, of Shreveport, La., for her question:
WHO BUILT THE CATACOMBS?
Catacombs are systems of underground passages or rooms. Often they were used as burial places. The most famous catacombs in the world lie on the outskirts of Rome in Italy.
Early Christians cut the catacombs Into the soft tufa rock under Rome from the A.D. 100s to the early 400s. The catacombs formed a network of connecting corridors and rooms covering about 600 acres.
Soon graves were cut into the walls. Bricks or marble slabs were used to close some of the graves. When more space was needed, additional halls called galleries were dug beneath the first.
The Christians used the catacombs for funeral and memorial services. The fresco paintings on some of the catacomb walls are important examples of early Christian art.
Among the famous fresco paintings is a scene called "Daniel in the Lion's Den" and another called "Moses Striking the Rock." These symbolize Gods salvation of men and nations.
The paintings also show orante or praying figures of the dead resurrected in Paradise, standing with their arms upraised in adoration.
During the periods of persecution, Christians took refuge in the catacombs because Roman law held all burial places sacred. But the catacombs lost their usefulness when Christianity became the established religion of the Roman Empire. Their existence was completely forgotten after about 400.
When the catacombs were accidentally rediscovered in 1578, it was first thought that they were the ruins of ancient cities.
Catacombs have also been found in other Italian cities and in Sicily, Malta, Egypt, North Africa and Palestine.
Visitors to Rome today are able to visit a number of the famous catacombs.
The burial chapels of some monasteries and nunneries in Europe are cometimes called catacombs. None of them, however, are as complex as those found in Rome.
In Paris, France, you'll find a place called the Catacombs of Paris. They are actually abandoned stone quarries that were first sued for burials in 1787.
The most famous catacombs in Rome are those of San Callisto, San Sebastiano and Sant' Agnese.
Not in the same classification as the catacombs, but extremely interesting because they mostly lie underground, are the ruins in Rome of the Domus Aurea or Golden House. The Romans built this location as a palace for Emperor Nero. Paintings cover some of the walls in this well preserved ancient location.