unburial
Digging up remains
Unburial is the act of digging up what has been buried—a corpse, a time capsule, a secret.
The word appears in gothic fiction and archaeology, but also figuratively: the unburial of long-suppressed memories.
Where exhumation sounds clinical, unburial emphasizes the reversal of interment.
Excavating a grave
- excavationAct of unearthing
- diggingRemoving earth below
- unearthingDiscovering something hidden
- remainsContinues in place
skeleton · grave · tomb · cemetery · forensics · archaeology · anthropology · shovel
Revealing something hidden
- revelationSurprising disclosed truth
- rediscoveryFinding something previously known
- exposureState of being unprotected
- resurfacingComing up again
disclosure · unveiling · unearthing · emergence · recovery · retrieval · reclamation · bringing to light
Revival from death
- reawakeningRenewed consciousness or awareness
- rebirthSpiritual or physical regeneration
- restorationReturning something to condition
- renewalMaking current again
return · reemergence · recuperation · regeneration · comeback · rising · awakening · reconstitution
disinterment
Excavating a grave
- excavationAct of unearthing
- diggingRemoving earth below
- unearthingDiscovering something hidden
remains · skeleton · grave · tomb · cemetery · forensics · archaeology · anthropology · shovel · trowel
uncovering
Revealing something hidden
- revelationSurprising disclosed truth
- rediscoveryFinding something previously known
- exposureState of being unprotected
resurfacing · disclosure · unveiling · unearthing · emergence · recovery · retrieval · reclamation · bringing to light · hidden truth
resurrection
Revival from death
- reawakeningRenewed consciousness or awareness
- rebirthSpiritual or physical regeneration
- restorationReturning something to condition
renewal · return · reemergence · recuperation · regeneration · comeback · rising · awakening · reconstitution
unburialburial
Placing deceased underground
interment · entombment · inhumation · sepulture · reburial