Over the centuries, people have taken great consideration when burying their loved ones
after they die. Their beliefs, convictions, and emotions all play a part in the method
and form they chose to honor the deceased. Some types of burial methods are simple and
serene, while others are over the top and celebratory. Whatever the case, human burial
has a long and unique history spanning the globe. I'm Mike with List25 and join me as
we take a look into 25 Unbelievable Burial Practices That Actually Exist.
25. Mummification
Most people are familiar with the white linen strapped bodies called mummies. This fashion
for the dead is part of an ancient Egyptian method of burial which was a complicated method
of preserving the body after death; so complicated that it took up to 70 days to complete.
24. Alkaline Hydrolysis
This process turns the body into a white colored dust after it has been loaded into a Resomator.
This machine enables the transformation of the remains by using water and lye and heating
the mixture to about 320Â°F and applying high pressure. This process has been favored
by environment friendly groups because it uses less energy and releases less carbon
dioxide.
23. Promession
The process involves freeze-drying the body (making it bridle), shattering the body into
dust, vacuum drying the dust, and releasing the dust into top soil, thus creating compost
within 12 months. This innovative method has been recognized by the King of Sweden with
an award and has caught the interest of more than 60 countries worldwide.
22. Neanderthal Cave Burials
Within the Shanidar Cave in Iraq, ten adult neanderthal skeletons were discovered. Two
of the first four showed evidence of burial rituals. The 2nd had a pile of stones on top
of his grave and the remains of a large fire near the burial site. The 4th was found lying
on his left side in a partial fetal position and had pollen grains around where he was
buried.
21. Human DNA Trees
How would you like to have an apple tree which has been genetically modified to carry strands
of your DNA? The company Biopresence was set up to create â€œLiving Memorialsâ€
or â€œTransgenic Tombstonesâ€ by transcoding the essence of the human being within the
DNA of a tree without affecting the genes of the resulting tree.
20. Firework Funeral
There are many creative ways to spread someoneâ€™s ashes, but this method takes the cake. Not
only does it spread the ashes far and wide, it does it with an impressive display. A firework
funeral places the ashes of the deceased inside the firework tube which is then launched high
into the sky, exploding in a brilliant display of lights and colors while releasing the ashes
of the deceased to be carried by high winds.
19. Cremation Art
Most families store their loved one's ashes in an urn which they proudly display. However,
if you really want to show off your loved one, how about mixing the ashes with paint
and turning it into art? Indeed, some have resorted to this method to honor their loved
ones as more than just ashes, but it doesnâ€™t stop with paint; loved ones can also be used
to create glass sculptures, pieces of jewelry, and much more.
18. Reef Burial
For those who love the sea, getting buried within a coral reef may be an interesting
burial option. Well, itâ€™s not the actual remains that are submerged in the water; rather,
itâ€™s the cremation ashes which are mixed with cement to form interesting features
of the reef.
17. Cryonics
This process is the low temperature preservation of humans and animals. If youâ€™ve watched
some sci-fi or superhero flicks, then you may be familiar with this method already.
Most people undergo cryopreservation in hopes that future technology will be able to bring
them back to life and back to health. However, this hope comes at a price of anywhere between
$80,000 to $250,000 dollars.
16. Viking Ship Burials
Port an Eilean MhÃ²ir is the only Viking burial discovered in mainland Britain so far.
The mound was discovered in 2006 and excavation started in 2011. The boat was used either
as a coffin for the dead and the grave goods (which sometimes included a slave girl) or
as part of the grave goods themselves.
15. Bog Bodies
Bog bodies have been naturally mummified within a peat bog. The mummification is accomplished
due to the conditions of the surrounding area such as highly acidic water, low temperature,
and a lack of oxygen. These conditions combine to preserve (and severely tan) the bodies,
however bones are normally not preserved due to the acid in the peat which dissolves the
calcium phosphate of the bones.
14. Balinese Cremation
The deceased is treated as if sleeping, thus family members avoid crying since they believe
the deceased will reincarnate or find his final resting place in the Moksha. The body
is then transferred in a coffin on the day of the ceremony and placed in a sarcophagus
resembling a bull where it is burnt.
13. Burial in an old town in Bulgaria
A recent archaeological dig has uncovered a very unusual sight; residents of a town
in Bulgaria were cut in half and buried from the pelvis up. It is unclear as to why this
ritual occurred seeing as some of the corpses found on this dig were preserved fully intact.
12. Hanging Coffins
Found in different locations like China, Indonesia, and the Philippines, these hanging coffins
are attached to the sides of cliffs as part of an ancient funeral custom of minority groups.
They come in three types: Some are cantilevered out on wooden stakes, others are placed in
caves, while the third kind sit on projections in the rock.
11. Space Burial
Space burial is carried out by launching a small capsule into space, containing a sample
of the ashes of the deceased. Several notable scientists, astronomers, and even the creator
of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry, have been buried in space. The farthest burial was outside
the solar system with the remains of Clyde Tombaugh, the discoverer of Pluto.
10. Burial Tree
Burial scaffolds are normally trees or at times other structures which are used to support
corpses or coffins. These were common among the Balinese, certain Australian Aborigines,
the Naga people, and some North American Indian groups. Particularly the Tibetans believe
tree burial allows the dead childâ€™s spirit to be reborn to heaven, and prevents
another childâ€™s death or misfortune in the family.
9. Memorial Diamonds
Similar to cremation art, memorial diamonds are created from the hair or cremated remains
of the deceased. If using hair, the samples are subjected to a process were carbon is
extracted. When the cremated remains are used, carbon is obtained in a gaseous form. Carbon
from both sources is turned into diamonds through conventional diamond synthesis techniques.
8. Tibetan Sky Burial
Sky burial is a practice in Tibet where the deceased are incised in a certain location
and then left exposed to the elements. Since the majority of Tibetans adhere to Buddhist
beliefs, they see the body as an empty vessel that will eventually be reborn.
7. Aboriginal Body Exposure
Corpses are placed on wooden scaffolds so that they will be exposed to the natural elements
and gradually rot and disintegrate. This ritual has two main stages: First, they leave the
corpse on a raised platform andÂ cover it with leaves and branches until the flesh has
rotted away. The second stage occurs after all the flesh has rotten and only bones are
left. The bones are painted red okra and left to disintegrate.
6. Plastination
Plastination is a technique used in anatomy to preserve bodies or body parts. It was first
developed by Gunther von Hagens in 1977. To achieve this preservation, the water and fat
are replaced by certain plastics, yielding specimens that can be touched; do not smell
or decay; and even retain most properties of the original sample.
5. Ifugao Death Chair (Front Porch Burial)
This is a form of mourning the deceased by the Ifugao people which is dependent on the
rank of the deceased in the community and the nature of death. The corpse is placed
in the sitting position in a specified chair for anywhere between 13 to 15 days for those
of a higher rank and 2 to 3 for commoners. After the wake, the remains are then transferred
to the grave site near the mountainside and are placed in an upright sitting position
inside and covered with stones and rocks.
4. Towers of Silence
In Zoroastrian tradition, corpses are placed on a circular raised structure. The roof of
the structure is divided into three rings where the men are arranged on the outer ring,
the women in the second circle and children in the innermost. When the corpses have turned
into sun bleached bones after a year, they are collected and placed in an ossuary pit
where they are mixed with lime and gradually disintegrated.
3. Endocannibalism
Endocannibalism is the practice of eating the flesh of a human being from the same community.
As shocking as it may sound, this practice was once common around the world. A fact that
was substantiated by the Studies of lead investigator Michael Alpers, who discovered that genes
that protect against prion diseases were widespread around the world, indicating that such endocannibalism
was once indeed common.
2. Suttee (Self Immolation)
Suttee is a social funeral practice where the wife of the deceased would immolate herself
on her husbandâ€™s funeral pyre. Itâ€™s derived from the original name of the goddess
Sati or Dakshayani who also did the same. There are measures to stop gender-biased and
unfair practices even if some view it as reasonable and a glorification towards the dead women.
However, it's still sadly practiced on some rare occasions in India, both voluntarily
and involuntarily.
1. Self-Mummification
The Sokushinbutsu were Buddhist monks or priests who went through a stringent and lengthy process
of causing their own deaths, resulting in mummifying themselves. Taking place in some
parts of Japan, only 24 incidents have been discovered to date. This belief establishes
that if the process was successful, then the monk was immediately seen as a Buddha and
placed in the temple for viewing. The practice is no longer advocated by any of the Buddhist
sects and has been banned in Japan.
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