Bodies were dropped down quarry shafts': secrets of millions buried in Paris catacombs come to light
Briefly

Philippe Charlier remarked, 'Our research is looking at 1,000 years of the history of public health in Paris and its suburbs, of the medicine and surgery people underwent and the illnesses they suffered.'
Charlier emphasized, 'Astonishing as it may seem, there has never been any serious scientific study of the catacombs... this is probably the biggest so it's unique.'
He recounted a historical anecdote, stating, 'People would be drinking, eating or dancing in a cellar tavern or cabaret when a wall would collapse and decomposing bodies fall in on them.'
The sign at the entrance warns visitors, 'Stop! This is the Empire of Death,' illustrating the catacombs' grim history and the reality of urban burial practices.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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