Hump Day History

 


The Paris Catacombs are underground ossuaries containing the remains of several million Parisians.

They were built in the 18th century, partly in response to a surplus of dead bodies, and partly in response to sinkholes.

In 1777, King Louis XVI created the Inspection Générale to map and maintain the quarries on which the city had been built, and they raced to fill them before more homes were lost.

At this time, most people were buried in communal graves on church grounds.  The graves would remain open until they were full, and after some time the grave would be reopened to move the bones to a charnel house.

The Holy Innocents' Cemetery had been in use for over 500 years, and overcrowding had become an issue.  The smell was one thing, but fluids and gases from decomposing bodies was impacting the surrounding market and homes as well, with many reporting respiratory issues, vomiting, and delirium.

And so, two birds with one stone!  In December 1785, workers began exhuming bodies from the cemetery and carting them down to the catacombs to consolidate the quarries.

****

In July 2024, Queens of the Stone Age became the first artists to ever play at the historic site.  On June 5, they will premiere "Alive in the Catacombs," a film of the performance, along with the album.


This is gonna be awesome.


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