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What Is a “Potter’s Field” and Do They Still Exist?
A potter’s field is a term used to describe a burial site for unknown, unclaimed or indigent individuals. The name originated from the New Testament when Judas Iscariot is said […]
A potter’s field is a term used to describe a burial site for unknown, unclaimed or indigent individuals. The name originated from the New Testament when Judas Iscariot is said to have given high priests the money he was paid to betray Jesus, which they used to purchase land, “the potter’s field,” in which to bury unknown people. Over time, “potter’s field” became synonymous with any burial site for the poor or unclaimed.
These burial grounds for the unclaimed still exist across the United States, though they may be known by other names today, such as county cemeteries or public burial grounds. Today, the majority of unclaimed bodies in the United States are cremated, stored for a set period of time, and then either scattered or buried in a county or state-owned mass grave, some of which the public can visit. New York City is home to the largest public cemetery in the US, on Hart Island off the coast of the Bronx. Dating back to 1869, over one million people have been buried there, with over 1,000 more interred each year (with upticks during public health crises like COVID).
Sources
“Why Are Common Graves Called Potter’s Fields?” Mental Floss. https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/potters-field-name-origin
“The Island Where New York City Buries Its Unclaimed Dead Is Becoming a Park”. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-yorks-secretive-islandhome-to-the-bodies-of-more-than-1-millionwill-become-a-park-180981915/
“Hart Island”. NYC: Hart Island. https://www.nyc.gov/site/hartisland/hart-island/hart-island.page
