Burial

Burial, also called interment and (when applied to human burial) inhumation, is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. Usually, this is accomplished by digging a pit or trench, placing the person or object in it, and refilling it with the soil that was dug out of it.

Reasons for human burial

Rotting corpses emit unpleasant odors (due to gases released by bacterial decomposition) and look gruesome. Burial prevents the living from having to see and smell the corpses. However, contrary to conventional wisdom, the WHO advises that corpses are not actually dangerous unless a person died from an infectious disease; corpses resulting from death by trauma (for instance, from natural disasters) are unpleasant but are not a public health issue. http://publications.paho.org/english/dead_bodies.pdfhttp://publications.paho.org/english/editorial_dead_bodies.pdf

Related Topics:
WHO - Infectious disease - Trauma - Natural disaster - Public health

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many cultures insist on respect for the dead. This has several facets to it:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Respect for the physical remains is considered necessary. If left lying on top of the ground, animals may eat the corpse, which is considered highly disrespectful to the deceased in many (but not all) cultures.
• Burial can be seen as an attempt to bring closure to the deceased's companions. By interring a body away from plain view, the pain of losing a loved one to death can likewise be lessened.
• Many cultures believe in an afterlife. Burial is often believed to be a necessary step for an individual to reach the afterlife.
• Many religions prescribe a "right" way to live, which includes customs relating to disposal of the dead.