The fascinating history of cemeteries - Keith Eggener 

The narrators voice made it even more mysterious and magical.

This animator is fantastic. Never have I been so visually entertained by graves.

For me the cemetery my late son is buried is one of my "happy" places... I don't reject it - I accept that feeling/ emotion for what it is. A comfort zone for a grieving mother..

I love cemeteries. I wish we’d put more information on headstones but even with limited information cemeteries are fascinating ways to see into our past.

Imagine thou'rt in the churchyard, weeping heavily before the grave of thine deceased kin, and there's just a merchant a few paces away shouting, "dost thou wanna buy a funny hat? FUNNY HATS FOR SAAALE!"

The narrators voice brought life to story and amazing animation as always.

Went to a education camp with my class. Our guide took us on a hike to a graveyard where we all sat and had a picnic. After eating, everyone wandered around looking at tombstones. It was kinda cool.

When I was a kid my friend and I would sometimes spend Saturday afternoons walking through cemeteries reading headstones. We made a game of it. Whoever found the oldest grave won. I remember feeling bad for the really old ones, some dating back the 1830's. I thought, here's someone nobody even remembers let alone visits. I made up my mind at that time to never be buried. I didn't want to end up as some old forgotten soul no one cared about hanging around a graveyard. But as I move closer to the end of the ride my thoughts have started to shift. My parents were both cremated and we spread their ashes at sea but now we have no place to visit them. I'm not sure who will visit me but perhaps having a little marker showing that you existed isn't such a bad thing.

The negative perception of cemeteries is a grave issue.

"When I die, I want my remains scattered around Disneyland. Also, I don't want to be cremated." - old comment I found in the internet.

While I was Houseless and Living on the Streets, i would often seek refuge in a Cemetery for a peaceful night of Sleep.

The way we bury the dead also show our relationship with death in general. We mourn the loss but we also find peace within knowing our relatives are among us in our memories. I think it would be a cool idea to see cemeteries revert back to large, colorful gardens where people's remains are used to help the soil grow trees and flowers. It could be good mentally as it would maybe help people see death not as a fearful or terrible end but rather just a part of the cycle of life as well as a way to also celebrate the lives that their passed love ones lived.

One of the best cemetery trends I've heard of recently is putting them on the edge of parklands and nature preserves to create a more natural buffer between development and protected lands (which developers often want to build right up to the edge of). But putting cemeteries around the land, it keeps buildings and roads further away and allows nature more space to thrive. I LOVE this idea and hope to see more of it.

4:46 He barely appeared in the video and I'm already sad that he died :(

I love visiting cemeteries. I find beautiful things, giant trees, sacred spaces, pieces left by loved ones that remain forever untouched. One cemetery in my city is now a park with trails and plaques for public history while still being a burial place. I've visited cemeteries in many countries to take photos and be near solid history. Where its appropriate I've also hiked and even picnickes in cemeteries ♡

My mum used to enjoy a walk around the local cemetery. She would read every tombstone she viewed. She is now in that cemetery and I will continue her tradition every time I visit her grave. I will read every tombstone along the journey to hers and find peace in my heart for those who have passed, even if be in anguish.

Before watching: What's so fascinating about cemeteries? After watching : You do learn something new everyday And also, can't believe the main character of this video died... Rest In Peace

we need to replace gravestones with trees...more symbolic of life and also environmentally beneficial :D

I find cemeteries peaceful and beautiful. My husband thinks I’m crazy, but I would absolutely hang out and have a picnic next to my Grandpa’s grave.

Cave Hill Cemetery in my city of Louisville, KY is gorgeous, especially in the spring. Waterfalls and swans, huge and elaborate headstones and statues. It's such a beautiful and peaceful place!!

I would prefer to bury the dead with no coffin and plant a tree on it; so the death can bring life, and if it is a fruit tree the better, that means food as well. Imagine if that becomes a common practice: the Cemeteries will be forests

"Wadi Al-Salam" means valley of peace btw

"hey dude, wanna go out to the cemetery for a cup of tea?"

I’ve always liked going to our town cemetery not just to see relatives headstones but it’s always a calming place to go if I’m stressed 😩

4:52 , that guy in cloud. 😊

There's a cemetery next to my house. I was scared all my childhood. Only if this video came earlier....

Cemeteries are so beautiful especially if surrounded by trees. It's one of my favourite place to have a quite stroll as the view never stops to change during different seasons. Grave stones in many European countries are made in different styles and you are basically walking through a museum of sculptures and history. It's even nicer when the candles are lit during special events. Absolutely magical as weird as it might sound.

"Traditional burial" DOES NOT pollute anything. Thats MODERN burial.

In my country cemeteries are nice places full of flowers and greenery . I live in Transylvania! ( Romania)

"Before we used to yeet the dead from a cliff" -Some guy a long long time ago

When my grandmother died in 1981 they opened up the family plot and I went to see it with my father. I could see the remains of my grandfather and below him were his brother. They were both in the military so I could still see the uniforms, hair and bones and whatever. It might sound a bit macabre but I never met my grandfather or my great uncle so it’s kind of touching the past. Making a connection…

They manage to make these old stories so fascinating. And the animations are incredible in all their videos.

I would much rather donate my body to science when I die. Then they can finally figure out whats wrong with me

I read it as "The fascinating history of CENTIMETERS"

i love this man’s voice

4:46 *_top ten saddest anime deaths_*

What’s fascinating is the fact that a 5 minute video gives you more information than a day at school

“Graveyards takes up space and harms the soil” Alright man I got my man Hannibal Lector on speed dial no biggie

In my hometown the old cemeteries are recognized as nice parks where you can spend your time. It has rich flora and fauna, so it's a nice and calm place to spend your afternoon at.

*The animation is freakishly good*

Why does a cementry have fence around it ? Because people are *dying* to get in edit: Wow so many likes I am so *Graveful* to you all ;)

I crated a family cemetery when my father passed away in 2007 and believe me I am comforted knowing he is on the land he loved while he was alive and its nice to just walk out there from the house and go anytime I want.

Graveyards guarantee a permanent green space, all the graveyards in Canada are beautiful with trees and plants!

When I die I want to be buried in just a sheet, with a tree planted on top on me. No embalming, no coffin, nothing. I just want to give back to the earth

Cemeteries now: Sad, Depressing, Spook Cemeteries then: *and then i saw her fACE*

I only watched this one because i saw Remus and Kiki animated it. They're TedEd videos are always the best.

There's a cemetery near my neighborhood, and it's a very beautiful one. It had nice tall trees, green grass, and it's very peaceful and rather quiet.

T: TOGETHER E: EVERYONE D: DESERVES (more) ED: EDUCATION

What a fascinating concept! I always wondered what the history of cemetery would be. TED-Ed never ceases to amaze me. 👍👍

So incredibly well done across each and every aspect of this video. Absolutely captivating, and fascinating!

I love cemeteries!!! Everytime I travel to New places I always check out the local cemetery

Awesome video!!! Amazing animations + Interesting information = Ted Ed! ❤️❤️👍👍

This reminds me of coco from Disney, always remember the dead.

I lived in a cemetery when I went to mortuary college in SF. Best experience of my life! Very peaceful AND safe!!!

We have a ton of small local cemeteries where I live. We enjoy riding backroads and trying to find the oldest grave we can. Some go back to the 1800s which is amazing when you think about it. Around here they have groups that mow and upkeep even the smallest little backroad place. Lovely video.

This a superb, funky little animation. Thank you Ted-Ed, for my life.

when I die I want my remains made into paint and have a painting of me made using it so I can fallow people with my eyes, watching, *JUDGING,* for all eternity

I love this channel because the time duration of the videos are not long.

The fascinating history of cemeteries is more fascinating than we thought. narrators voice made it so mysterious. The animations are very creatively made.

You know I have all ways thought cemeteries were beautiful because they were allways full of light and greenery and tall beautiful trees so clearly we're been going to different cemeteries

When I die, I want to be turned into a gem and be made into a pendant or a ring. That way my family wouldn't feel depressed whenever they see me. Unless they decide to sell me to auction then I will forcefully haunt them until they keep me well polished and safe.

In one of the cemeteries here, people's BONES were exposed, from skulls to arms. The cemetery is currently in renovation because the older buildings are rotting where you see other people remains (the bone kind, not the flesh kind). It always haunted me as a kid.

I work at a cemetery and usually find it very peaceful edging stones and just making the place look good I enjoy it

In 2015 I got my Master's Degree in Sociology of Community and Organizational Networks presenting a thesis entitled "When Death takes thou on Holidays". In it I explained how cemeteries changed through the ages, their cultural and spiritual importance, religious views and philosophies about the afterlife, the cultural, architectural impact and touristic significance certain death-related places maintain today. My primary focus was to understand to what extent would be possible, with the current technology, to convert common use cemeteries in parks, green places immersed in nature within our cities. Through interviews I tried to understand if the inhabitants of the cities would be favourable to a place dedicated to the commemoration of the dead, free from the oppression of the concrete and pollutions brought by the coffins covered with zinc, which would be replaced by eco biodegradable coffins and eco-burials, creating room for planting trees and treating lawns. In addition, I asked if these same places could be used by the residents and the tourists to carry out educational, cultural and recreational activities. Needless to say, when I looked for a PhD to expand my research to an international level, only one University in the entire UE demostrated interest. But the only choices they offered to me were to compile the research without a bursary (I'm not a resident in that country) or to look for a loan (not exactly an exciting option).

Someone should work on a project to restore cemeteries to how they were. We should celebrate the lives of those who have passed rather than be sad over their departure. It may also help sooth loved ones of the dead by creating a more lively and joyful environment

The Music at the end is beautiful. Simply beautiful.

I loved this! I'm glad other alternatives to burials are becoming more popular.

Do these videos give anyone else so much peace?

I am from Germany and the ad shown before vid was by our military service, yt has got a nice sense of humor.

Lmao the biker gang mourning the glasses guy was an image I didn't know I needed

How entertaining! I always visited my grandparents on my bike in Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City. There still are beautiful grassy areas loading with wonderful trees. Since many are fearful of what could be in the cemetery, punks stay away. It was always a safe place for me to enjoy.

Playing a gig in a cemetery is the most metal thing ever

"When I die, I want my casket to be filled with beer and have everyone celebrate" - unknown

Cemeteries are home for some truly beautiful trees. I love walking in them.

I think a garden where every plant (trees, flowers, shrubs, etc) was fertilized by a deceased person is a great idea for a cemetary. Because then you also get a very nice public garden out of it, and the nameplates/signs/headstones nearby don't consume as many resources as a coffin does.

The animation and this great narration is just 👌😣 *Perfection*

"It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart."- Ecclesiastes 7:2 (KJV)

His voice is so good It makes me be concentrated

This was awesome! Loved it, learned a few things as well

2:06 just that savage yeet into the pit with them smiling 🤣

Loving this narrator. Helps with the spookiness and his voice works perfectly for these kind of videos.

Mount Auburn Cemetery is still flourishing and beautiful as ever! Quite a few of my family members are buried there

The animation is absolutely fantastic. It’s what held my attention.

I’ve watched this like 10 times over the past several years and I intend to keep watching

4:53 He's smiling while watching his dead body being turned into tattoo ink.

The first time I ever met my great grandparents was in the cemetery- it still counts though, right?

The background music that starts at about 4:22 and ends at 4:57 is really nice, I wish it was on its own to listen to

Great video. The music, animations, and narrator mix so well together

Reminded me of Over the Garden Falls. Lovely Animation TED-ED!

I grew up living next to one, and another right across the street:) I loved watching the rain out of my window and let my leg get wet lol the view: our garden and the cemetery. I was never scared of anything, but always some weird stuff happened to me at night. The craziest thing was when I woke up realizing “why am I smiling? And what’s pulling me?”. I opened my eyes, and I fell back in my bad. I almost choked on breathing in 😂 Everything has stopped ever since I moved to the US.

when I went to visit my grandma, it was almost like she was giving me a hug, and walking around the graveyard with me. I miss you, grandma. rip.

I love learning about the Kerameikos Cemetery. It looks just like the first stage of altered beast. Please do a video on that particular cemetery

It's not Wadi Al-Salaam, it's Wadi As-salaam. There is an allophonic rule in Arabic which causes the of the definite article "al" to assimilate completely to any following sun letter, which are the coronals. While the letter laam is maintained in the Arabic abjad, it better serves the transliteration to show the assimilation, and especially pronounce it. Also, the word "necropoles" isn't pronounced "necro poles," as if it referred to some death-themed May Poles. No, it is pronounced like "necropoLEES," with a long sound.

As an Asian, I have always been more familiar with the concept of cremation. Burials seem strange to me because did no one consider that they will one day run out of places to bury the dead? Also, I feel like Parsi people (followers of Zoroastrianism) have a really interesting practice. They have places called Towers of Silence where the dead body is put in a convenient place for the carrion birds to pick away at. It sort of completes the ecological cycle...

I’ve been to Mount Auburn, my dad grew up there, it’s absolutely gorgeous!!!

Just imagine telling your friend "Yoooo, lets go to the cemetery!!"

The animation is done with so much quality! Thank you!

Wonderfully explained, thank you

I am always feel connected to your animation. hats off for you.

I would like to be tree fertilizer 💁🏻‍♀️