8 weird burial alternatives that are going mainstream

[rug]

The ancient world is full of examples of burial customs that seem strange now, from Egyptian mummification to bodies dumped in bogs to departed Vikings launched out on ships-turned-crematoriums. But space constraints and environmental concerns are pushing modern man to explore new options for dealing with the dead.

The most recent of these to land on American shores is a process that uses heat, pressure and chemicals to liquefy a body in just a few hours, leaving behind sterile remains that can be poured into the wastewater system.

But unusual customs, from launching cremated remains into space to old-fashioned burials in hand-dug graves, are a growing trend. Here are some of the newest choices (not all eco-friendly) for the end of life.

Resomation

Anderson-McQueen funeral home in St. Petersburg, Fla., is currently the only place in the United States where patrons can opt to have their tissues dissolved as an alternative to traditional cremation. The process, called resomation or "bio-cremation," uses heated water and potassium hydroxide to liquefy the body, leaving only bones behind. The bones are then pulverized, much as in regular cremation, and the bone fragments are returned to the family.

http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/8-weird-burial-alternatives-that-are-going-mainstream

The freeze-drying appeals to me.

[Bucky]

1. The eco-friendly way I wanna be disposed of involves slipping & falling into the lion den at the zoo

Of course the authorities may become suspicious about why that 90 year old dude was at the zoo completely covered in ketchup...

[rug]

2. You might like a Dakhma.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakhma

[Denninmi]

3. I'm still waiting for Tibetan sky burial to come to the US.

Of course, we don't really have mountains full of raptors in Michigan, but I guess they could always chuck the bodies atop the roof of the central tower of the Renaissance Center in Detroit (72 stories).

[rug]

4. Where are you going to find bodies in Detroit?

:hide:

[Denninmi]

5. Well, I was kind of thinking of my own withered corpse someday in the future.

But, well, hey, based on what I hear on our local news here everyday, it isn't particularly difficult. The local buzzard population could eat really well if we started doing this.