Burial

A burial is the disposal of a corpse. Burial methods may include depositing the deceased in a tomb or a grave, sending the body to sea, or burning the remains. Some research indicates an ethical need to care for the dead as the reasoning behind burials, which points to early humanoids developing primitive culture. Ancient Neanderthal burial sites give researchers reason to believe evolutionary ancestors mourned their dead. As civilization grew, traditions surrounding the proper disposal of the deceased grew more elaborate and more dependent on religious and social rituals.

Modern burial practices vary. Roman Catholic, Islamic, and Jewish funerary rites parallel what has been traditional and accepted for centuries, with minor deviations. In the twenty-first century, some people have adopted ancient forms of burial that are considered more eco-friendly and cost-effective.

Background

During the 1950s, researchers excavated the Neanderthal burial site of Shanidar in northern Iraq. These graves, which are estimated to be between thirty thousand and sixty-five thousand years old, provided insight into ancient customs. Researchers found trace amounts of pollen in one of the graves and concluded the body was strewn with flowers. Oftentimes, the deceased were buried with tools or ceremonial objects, indicating ritual and mourning.

Another Neanderthal burial—located in La Chapelle-aux-Saints, France, and dating back about fifty thousand years—provides additional clues into the motivation behind early human evolution and funerary practices. Some researchers believe bodies were intentionally interred, signifying symbolism beyond death for early humans. This site clarified that early humanoids buried their dead at least some of the time. Still, researchers could not determine the motivations behind these burials. Due to the shallowness of the graves and the lack of additional offerings, some researchers emphasize the practicality of burying the dead. For example, the smell of a rotting corpse could draw predators to camp.

As humans evolved, burials became ritualized, though they varied depending on geography, culture, and religious affiliation. Inhumation, or grave burial, is the most common form of funeral rite found by archaeologists. Examples of inhumation include shallow Neanderthal graves, cave burials in Hawaii, burial mounds, and northern cultures where bodies were covered with rocks. Many cultures followed unique traditions in the placement of the body.

Some societies, most commonly Norse and Pacific Islander cultures, utilized water burials, committing the body to the sea by placing it on a reef or launching it on a raft. Norse peoples most often reserved the famed ship burning ceremony for individuals of great wealth or importance. Some Pacific Islander cultures allowed sea animals to scavenge the body of the deceased.

The Bo people of early China practiced hanging burials. This involved placing the bodies in coffins, which were hung from the side of a cliff. Research suggests this could have religious significance and may have been an attempt to bring the dead closer to the afterlife, or it could have been done to solve pragmatic issues, such as saving the land for agriculture. In the early twenty-first century, some Philippine cultures still practiced hanging burial.

Topic Today

Modern Roman Catholic rites largely mirror traditional burial practices. Inhumation is the most acknowledged burial rite according to doctrine; however, due to the rise in the popularity of cremation, Roman Catholic officials also recognize this as an acceptable burial practice. The remains of the deceased must be buried in a church cemetery or other sacred space to ensure the honor of the dead.

Protestant burials vary. Lutheran practices are very open; inhumation, cremation, and interment at sea are all considered acceptable forms of burial. The Presbyterian Church advocates for traditional inhumation rather than cremation, though cremation is not prohibited.

Islamic burial practices have not changed much since ancient times. Anything considered injurious to the body, including autopsies and embalming, is avoided in Islamic funerary practices. The deceased must be buried within twenty-four hours of death, though this is a cultural norm. Immediate family members wash the corpse and wrap the body in a shroud. The deceased is buried in a plot without a casket, and the upper body, most importantly the head, faces Mecca, the holy city.

Jewish burial practices are similar to Islamic customs. The body is considered sacred and must be kept whole; cremation is forbidden in most cases. Embalming is also prohibited because the deceased's body must be allowed to decay naturally. The body is placed in a wooden casket without any metals to assist in natural decomposition.

Certain religious affiliations prefer cremation to inhumation. Hinduism mandates that adults be cremated after death to keep the soul from staying near family. This is considered an offering to Agni, the god of fire. Holy men are buried in the lotus position since they are detached from the physical world, and children are buried because they have not lived long enough to form attachments. Buddhism advocates for cremation to assist the deceased in becoming spiritually enlightened during reincarnation. In Japan, a mixture of Shinto and Buddhist practices also utilize cremation. Traditionally, the family of the deceased uses special chopsticks to pick bone fragments from the ashes to place in the funerary urn, which is buried forty-nine days after cremation. Large urban areas like Tokyo and Osaka require the deceased to be cremated, primarily due to sanitary concerns.

In 1963, British investigative journalist Jessica Mitford published the book The American Way of Death, which explores the American funeral system and the process of embalming. She advocated a return to a more natural form of burial rather than extravagant funeral displays. Proponents of modern practices argued that they were more sanitary, but Mitford believed these funerary services only took away the dignity of the dead.

Trends in the twenty-first century push for eco-friendly burials. Embalming chemicals such as formaldehyde, methanol, and oxalate can be harmful to the environment. Cremation uses a great deal of energy and may release poisonous mercury fumes into the air from dental fillings. Natural burials involve using simple wooden caskets or shrouds in protected green spaces. Grave markers may include trees or engraved rocks. However, this practice is illegal in some countries. Tree pod burial also gained popularity in the first decades of the twenty-first century, which involves placing a body or ashes under an existing or newly planted tree. The person theoretically "becomes one" with the tree as their body returns to earth. Aquamation, also called water cremation, alkaline hydrolysis, or flameless cremation, is another environmentally friendly alternative to traditional burial. The organic materials are broken down by warm water and an alkaline catalyst solution, creating an ash. Other options include eternal reefs (mixing ashes with concrete to create habitats for marine life) and mushroom burial suits.

Bibliography

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"Instruction Ad Resergendum Cum Christo Regarding the Burial of the Deceased and the Conservation of the Ashes in the Case of Cremation." Summary of Bulletin: Holy See Press Office, 25 Oct. 2016, press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2016/10/25/161025c.html. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

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"Unique Funeral Traditions from Different Parts of the World." O’Riley - Branson Funeral Service & Crematory, 2 Jan. 2023, www.orileybranson.com/unique-funeral-traditions-from-different-parts-of-the-world. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.