''Puticuli'' were ancient Roman

mass graves A mass grave is a grave containing multiple human corpses, which may or may not be identified prior to burial. The United Nations has defined a criminal mass grave as a burial site containing three or more victims of execution, although an exact ...

located outside of cities where the dead bodies of the poor and rubbish were buried. Usually they were left uncovered. It was considered shameful to be buried inside of these graves. One ''puticuli'' located in the Esquiline cemetery was divided into two sections, one for

artisans An artisan (from french: artisan, it, artigiano) is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates material objects partly or entirely by hand. These objects may be functional or strictly decorative, for example furniture, decorative art, s ...

, and the other for the poor,

prisoners A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...

, and other groups. This section was one thousand feet long and three hundred feet deep. It contained one hundred vaults which were thirty feet deep and twelve feet square. They were filled with large quantities of various kinds of bodies. Some were of men or women and children. Others were of animals.

References

{{AncientRome-stub Burial monuments and structures in Italy Death customs Cemeteries and tombs in Rome Mass graves Ancient Roman culture