Skeletons take on many forms as symbols. They represent the threat of death, as found on the labels of poisonous substances, pirate flags, and military gear. They symbolize rebellion, which is why rock groups like them, Merbs says. They're professional symbols, found on the business cards of anatomists and the coffee mugs of coroners. One anthropologist has a skull and crossbones on her personal checks.
Skeletons also symbolize life after death.
In Austrian villages, people elaborately decorated and displayed the skulls of their loved ones so others could visit and pay their respects, Merbs says. In one unusual case, bones were used to memorialize the dead. The memorial is found at the Chapel of All Saints at Sedec near K'tna Hora, a city east of Prague in the Czech Republic. Another mass of bones was arranged into a painstakingly detailed coat of arms.