The Paris Catacombs (well, its actually an "ossuary") is one of the most famous tourist attractions in France. Floor to ceiling human bones, along with the dark, cave-like nature of the catacombs, gives this location a somber, macabre, yet intriguing appeal. For this episode, co-host Ivy shares the history of its creation and dives into the issue of ethics often brought up when discussing human remains which have been used in such a manor. (How does this tie in with anthropology, you might ask? Um…old bones…yeah, we can justify its discussion here on Odd Anthro!)

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Music by Joel Fazhari from Pixabay

Resources used for this episode:

Jessica Pearce Rotondi The Dark Origins of the Paris Catacombs (November 2023, updated May 2025) for HISTORY
https://www.history.com/articles/paris-catacombs-origins

Philibert Aspairt for Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philibert_Aspairt

Les Catacombes de Paris - History
https://www.catacombes.paris.fr/en/history