In Relics of the Dead we discover the fascinating ways that the deceased are remembered in countries all over the globe. From the traditional to the bazaar these rituals are unique but highly respectful.
Adela Ucar and Ian Wright start by visiting underground catacombs in Paris and Palermo, Sicily. Next we see how the world’s great tombs celebrate the lives of religious figures, political leaders, and celebrity icons. Ian visits Moscow’s Red Square and the tomb of Russia’s most loved leader, Lenin, before travelling to Graceland in Memphis USA, to pay tribute to the iconic Elvis Presley.
Mummification is another common post mortem practice as Jonathan Atherton witnesses in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, where corpses are smoked, and in Mexico where Ian visits the museum of mummies.
Finally Megan McCormick journeys to Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, an archaeological treasure trove of ancient tombs, before we end our travels in China’s Xi’an Shannxi province, at the ultimate Relic of the dead – the tomb of the terracotta warriors.
Places Mentioned - China, Egypt, France, Italy, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Russia, USA
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