Underground tunnels and chambers, often carved from rock, used as tombs or hiding places in ancient times.
From Latin 'catacumba,' possibly from Greek meaning 'down' plus 'tumulus' (burial mound). The most famous catacombs are in Rome, where early Christians buried their dead.
The Roman catacombs were Christian safe spaces before Christianity was legal—families had secret meetings there, and archaeologists can literally read the history of early Christianity on the walls!
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