ancient necropolis
- noun
- /ˈeɪnʃənt nɛˈkrɒpəlɪs/
:
necrópolis antigua
- Tourists are often fascinated by the elaborate tombs in the ancient necropolis near Luxor.
Examples
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The discovery of an ancient necropolis shed new light on early Roman burial customs.
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The ancient necropolis of Thebes is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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Archaeologists have spent years carefully excavating the ancient necropolis outside the city walls.
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Have you ever visited an ancient necropolis?
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Archaeologists have spent years carefully excavating the ancient necropolis outside the city walls.
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The discovery of an ancient necropolis shed new light on early Roman burial customs.
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Tourists are often fascinated by the elaborate tombs in the ancient necropolis near Luxor.
Synonyms
421
2.8
A place where people are buried, often with headstones
122
1.8
A place where people are buried after they die
21
3.9
A place where people are buried, like a cemetery
16
9.1
An underground place with tunnels where people are buried
11
3.7
A place where people bury their dead
4
9.9
A large old cemetery for a city with many tombs
1
6.1
An area of land with graves for dead people, like a cemetery
How Old
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'ancient' (old) + 'necropolis' (burial ground); a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to an old/ancient cemetery. The adjective+noun pattern is a standard, transparent construction and the concept maps easily across languages, so no special idiomatic knowledge is required.
Etymology
Ancient necropolis comes from Greek words meaning 'city of the dead' and necropolis is made of necro- ('dead') and -polis ('city'). People thought of large burial sites as a separate city of tombs, so today the phrase means 'a large burial ground from ancient times'.