coffins

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Prosecutors Don't Take Kindly to Coffin Stunt at Eiffel

They say display mentioning Ukraine was an act of psychological violence

(Newser) - Three people were released from custody Monday pending further investigation after they allegedly placed five coffins at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. According to officials at the Paris prosecutor's office, the three—citizens of Bulgaria, Germany, and Ukraine—placed the coffins, covered with a French flag that included...

If You Want a Simple Pine Box, This Coffin Maker Isn't for You

Ross Hall of New Zealand has an array of whimsical designs catered to individuals

(Newser) - When the pallbearers brought Phil McLean's coffin into the chapel, there were gasps before a wave of laughter rippled through the hundreds of mourners, per the AP . The coffin was a giant cream donut. “It overshadowed the sadness and the hard times in the last few weeks,”...

Coffins Found in Egypt Likely Belong to Thousand-Year Cult

King Teti's rule began in 2323 BC; the remains date to a much later period

(Newser) - A decade of archaeological work at a site near Egypt's Pyramid of Teti has paid off. Leading Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass on Sunday announced that the temple of Queen Neit—wife of King Teti, whose rule began in 2323 BC—has been uncovered. The AP reports burial shafts measuring...

They Found 13 Ancient Coffins in One Well. Then, 14 More

Archaeologists unearth 2,500-year-old sarcophagi near Egypt's Step Pyramid of Djoser

(Newser) - Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed more than two dozen ancient coffins in a vast necropolis south of Cairo, an official said Monday. The sarcophagi have remained unopened since they were buried more than 2,500 years ago near the famed Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, says Neveine el-Arif, a spokeswoman...

Anti-Maskers Face a Spooky Punishment

Some have been forced to dig graves, sit in coffins in Indonesia

(Newser) - Indonesia is dealing out spooky punishments to anti-maskers, some of whom have been forced to dig graves, sit in coffins, and stay in "haunted" houses. "There are only three available gravediggers at the moment, so I thought I might as well put these people to work with them,...

Radar Detects Long-Forgotten Coffins at High School

Abandoned black cemetery is discovered in Tampa

(Newser) - Some 145 coffins found beneath a Florida high school are believed to belong to a forgotten African-American cemetery—and it's not the only one in Tampa. "This hurts. Deeply," says Yvette Lewis, president of the Hillsborough County branch of the NAACP. A ground-penetrating radar survey showed the...

20 Sealed Coffins Uncovered in Egypt

And nearby, evidence of funerary items produced on an 'industrial scale'

(Newser) - The colorful strokes, painted millennia ago, are still visible beneath a layer of dirt, which is partly why Egypt's antiquities ministry is celebrating the discovery of more than 20 ancient coffins as one of the "largest and most important" finds in the country in recent years. But the...

US Denies Sending Coffins to North Korea

But US has sent coffins to Inter-Korean border for war remains

(Newser) - The US military says it moved 100 wooden coffins to the inter-Korean border on Saturday to prepare for North Korea's returning of the remains of American soldiers who have been missing since the 1950-53 Korean War, the AP reports. US Forces Korea spokesman Col. Chad Carroll also says 158...

Family: Wrong Woman Was in Casket at Grandma's Viewing

And no one seems to know where Virginia Gray's body went

(Newser) - When Virginia Gray's grandkids went to Horton's Funeral Home last Friday to pay their respects to the DC matriarch, who had died at the age of 83 in mid-February, they were prepared to say their final goodbyes, News4 reports. But although her family recognized the clothing on the...

Venezuela Running Low ... on Coffins

Production down 20% to 30% in country with high murder rate

(Newser) - Now even in death, Venezuelans are afflicted by shortages. Coffin production has dropped between 20% and 30% this year for lack of materials, industry officials say, forcing funeral and burial delays and boosting coffin prices. In especially short supply is the metal leaf used in coffin-building, says Pedro Navarro, former...

5 Bizarre Ways to Immortalize Yourself

'Cremation Solutions' can make an urn resembling your head

(Newser) - Aren't sure your accomplishments will inspire a life-size statue in the local square? Consider Cracked 's list of creepy ways to immortalize yourself:
  • An Urn Resembling Your Head. Using 3-D imaging, Cremation Solutions can mold one in your likeness for only $2,600. Don't like your own
...

Monks Fight for Right to Sell Caskets

Monastery heads to court against state of Louisiana

(Newser) - A group of monks in Louisiana is heading to federal appeals court in a battle against the state. The monks want the right to sell their handcrafted caskets, but the state has demanded they cease and desist because of regulations regarding "funeral merchandise"—which the monks say were...

12 Stories