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London, England is home to the Cross Bones Graveyard, also known as the single women's churchyard which dates back to medieval times. It was a place where prostitutes were buried. In those days prostitutes were excluded from Christian burial and were put to rest in unconsecrated grounds. The actual age of the graveyard is unknown but in 1598 John Stow, an English historian, wrote about it in his book A Survey of London. By 1769 it became a graveyard where paupers were buried. The cemetery closed in 1853 because of over-population. After it was closed, it was forgotten until construction began on a subway project. Archaeologists have retrieved the bones of 148 people including fetuses, children and women over 36 years old. Estimates put the total burials at about 15,000.
A vigil, that began in 1998, is held on the 27th day of each month to remember the outcasts, dead and alive, of society and people ensure that the gates of the cemetery are permanently decorated. A campaign is under way to build a permanent memorial garden there.
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