Burial

The dead have been formally buried for at least 200,000 years and archeologists attribute the custom to Neanderthals. People use earth burials to show respect for their dead, for health reasons, and to fulfill religious prescriptions. Of all the great civilizations, Egyptians are singled out for their burial practices. Within this culture was a persistent theme to death and life beyond and the divine origin of the soul. In the western world and as Christianity grew, churchyards served as the main sites for burials. Burial within the church itself was reserved for wealthy persons or those with religious status. As villages expanded into communities, churchyards became crowded leading to the creation of modern cemeteries. Embalming originated in Egypt, estimated to have begun about 3200 BC. as a necessary requirement for resurrection and preservation of the body. The roots of modern embalming began during the Civil War as a practical way to meet the demand of families who requested that their dead be returned home for burial in family plots or farms