Which term denotes a structure containing niches or recesses used to hold cremated remains?

Which term denotes a structure containing niches or recesses used to hold cremated remains?

• A. A structure, room, or space in a mausoleum or other building containing niches used to hold cremated remains.
• B. A portable container used for shipping caskets.
• C. A monument erected for memory of the dead.
• D. A container for dead remains anthropoid.

Answer: (A)

A columbarium is the structure described. It is a space—often a room or wing within a mausoleum or a standalone building—built with numerous niches or recesses that hold cremated remains in urns. Each niche provides a small compartment for an urn, sometimes with a front panel or door and a plaque for identification. This concept specifically centers on housing cremated remains, which is why the term fits this description. It’s distinct from a portable shipping container for caskets, a monument or memorial, or a container for dead remains shaped like a human body, which are not about storing urns in a niche-filled structure.

A columbarium is the structure described. It is a space—often a room or wing within a mausoleum or a standalone building—built with numerous niches or recesses that hold cremated remains in urns. Each niche provides a small compartment for an urn, sometimes with a front panel or door and a plaque for identification. This concept specifically centers on housing cremated remains, which is why the term fits this description. It’s distinct from a portable shipping container for caskets, a monument or memorial, or a container for dead remains shaped like a human body, which are not about storing urns in a niche-filled structure.