The 8 Oldest Cemeteries in the World

1. Gross Fredenwalde Cemetery

The oldest cemetery in the world is the Gross Fredenwalde Cemetery in Germany. While it was only discovered in 1962, it is believed that this cemetery dates back nearly 9,000 years. What’s amazing about this cemetery is that people didn’t start burying the dead in a single location until 3,000 years later. 

This sacred location was far ahead of their time and archaeologists have noted that when they buried their dead here, they did it with purpose and were extremely careful.

2. Kerameikos Cemetery

The second oldest cemetery in the world is in Athens, Greece. While excavations began in 1870, the cemetery itself is thought to be nearly 5,000 years old! This land is used for much more than just burying the dead. 

There you’ll also find pottery studios, religious buildings, and even residential homes.

3. Udegram Cemetery

The third oldest cemetery in the world brings us to Sway Valley, Pakistan. In 2012 archaeologists discovered this 3,000-year-old cemetery. They have since discovered over 30 sealed graves. 

The dead were buried with a variety of personal belongings such as pieces of iron, hair accessories, and ornaments.

4. Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery

Among the most important cemeteries on the planet, Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery is also one of the oldest. There are believed to be nearly 150,000 people buried here. During the early temple days, the Jewish community would bury their dead in caves on the side of the mountain. 

With this location being in The Bible, many tourists visit to pay their respects.

5. Okunoin Cemetery

The Okunoin Cemetery in Mount Kōya, Japan, is home to around 200,000 bodies. It is the oldest, biggest, and most sacred resting place in the country. You can find idolized monks and Buddhist leaders resting here. 

Toronto Hall is a religious worship area in the cemetery that has over 10,000 lanterns. Legend has it that two of the lanterns have been burning for thousands of years.

6. Heiliger Sand

Another one of the oldest cemeteries in the world is Heiliger Sand. You can find this resting place in Worms, Germany. It was established around the 11th century and is the oldest Jewish cemetery in all of Europe. 

Throughout the Medieval era, this portion of Germany was home to several famous Jewish leaders who are now buried here. Alexander ben Salomon Wimpfen and Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg are just a couple of the notable people in Heiliger Sand. 

The last burials occurred here in 1940, during the Holocaust.

7. Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague

The penultimate oldest cemetery in the world on this list brings us to the Czech Republic. It was first established at the beginning of the 15th century, and the oldest graves date back to 1439. A jaw-dropping 100,000 bodies lie in 12,000 graves.

Experts believe that there are graves with as many as 12 bodies stacked on top of one another. For over 300 years this cemetery was the only burial ground for the Jewish community in Prague.

The initial tombstones here were very plain. Around the 16th century, they started to build more elaborate markers. These would have a person’s last name, profession, and the years they were alive.

8. Myles Standish Burial Ground

Located in Duxbury, MA, Myles Standish Burial Ground has been around since 1638. This is the oldest maintained Cemetery in the country. Although we don’t know the exact number of graves, there are roughly 130 of them that are marked.  

Many believe that the vast majority of those buried here were pilgrims who came over on the Mayflower. In fact, the cemetery is named after Captain Myles Standish. When they first started using this area as a cemetery, they would use field stones or wood to mark the graves. 

Due to the natural elements, many of these markers are gone. In 1789 the cemetery was abandoned and nearly 100 years later in 1887, the Duxbury Rural Society reclaimed it.