▁in ▁teaching ▁an atom y ▁at ▁early ▁modern ▁univers ities . ▁ ▁Description ▁▁ ▁The ▁theatre ▁was ▁usually ▁a ▁room ▁of ▁roughly ▁am ph it he atr ical ▁shape , ▁in ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁which ▁would ▁stand ▁the ▁table ▁on ▁which ▁the ▁dis sections ▁of ▁human ▁or ▁animal ▁bodies ▁took ▁place . ▁Ar ound ▁this ▁table ▁were ▁several ▁circular , ▁elli ptic ▁or ▁oct ag onal ▁t iers ▁with ▁rail ings , ▁ste ep ly ▁tier ed ▁so ▁that ▁students ▁or ▁other ▁obser vers ▁could ▁stand ▁and ▁get ▁a ▁good ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁dis section ▁almost ▁from ▁above ▁and ▁un enc umber ed ▁by ▁the ▁spect ators ▁in ▁the ▁rows ▁in ▁front . ▁It ▁was ▁common ▁to ▁display ▁ske let ons ▁at ▁some ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁theatre ; ▁in ▁Le iden , ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁dep ict ions ▁show ▁that ▁the ▁living ▁obser vers ▁were ▁actually ▁accompanied ▁in ▁the ▁rows ▁by ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁animal ▁and ▁human ▁ske let ons , ▁some ▁of ▁which ▁held ▁b ann ers ▁with ▁ins cri ptions ▁such ▁as ▁M emento ▁mor i , ▁or , ▁freely ▁translated , ▁" Rem ember , ▁you ▁will ▁die ". ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁an atom ical ▁Theatre ▁was ▁built ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Pad ua ▁in ▁ 1 5 9 4 ▁and ▁is ▁still ▁preserved . ▁Other ▁early ▁examples ▁include ▁the ▁The at rum ▁An atomic um ▁of ▁Le iden ▁University , ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 5 9 6 ▁and ▁re construct ed ▁in ▁ 1 9