10 different ways to deal with death

Burial and cremation are not the only ways to face death. Around the earth, people of different cultures and creeds engage in different rituals, which show a little of the cultural diversity of humanity. Check out a small sample of this variety and, consequently, the cultural diversity of humanity.

1. Mummification

The mummies of ancient Egypt are probably the third most famous way to deal with death. The process was reserved for members of the upper classes of society and included the removal of all internal organs of the body, including the brain. The Egyptians thought that this kind of ritual helped to preserve the soul for the afterlife journey.

2. Cryogenics

One urban legend says that Walt Disney's body is frozen to this day so that it will be resurrected in the future. Although this is a lie, since Mickey's creator was cremated, about 100 corpses have gone through this procedure and so far await the right technology and knowledge to bring them back to life.

In the United States, there are at least two companies that offer cryogenic service, and freezing a body can cost anywhere from $ 82, 000 to $ 352, 000. Who wants to preserve the pet needs to shell out about $ 17, 000. However, a caveat: although the freezing technique is already mastered, it is still not possible to bring anyone back to life.

3. Cremation in Bali

Cremation of a loved one need not necessarily be a quiet, weeping ritual. In Bali, Hindus promote a kind of street carnival, with the right to parade while the body burns inside a bull-shaped urn.

4. Plastination

Created by artist and scientist Gunther von Hagens in 1977, plastination is a technique for preserving biological matter that consists of extracting body fluids and replacing them with silicone resins and others. This was the technique explored by von Hagens in his exhibition on the human body, which has toured many countries.

5. Neanderthal Caves

Long before we began burying the dead, our ancestors moved their corpses to caves in regions where today Europe and the Middle East are. According to the Live Science website, it is possible that Neanderthals believed that these caves served as a gateway to the “other world”.

6. Buried in Swamps

Many explorers eventually died in swamps around the world, but there are cases where the deceased ended up being purposely buried in these wetlands, especially during the Middle Ages.

Fortunately, thanks to the conditions of these environments, archaeologists have been able to find very well preserved bodies due to the chemical characteristics of the site.

7. Mountains and Vultures

In Tibet, many dead have a beautiful but also frightening fate. Instead of being cremated or buried, the corpses are destined for the top of beautiful mountains. However, they end up being delivered to the vultures that live in the region.

8. Vikings

When a wealthier Viking died, he was given a rather noble funeral: his body was placed in a boat, along with jewelry, food, weapons and even slaves or a companion animal. After everything was set up on dry land, the vessel was set on fire and sent to sea.

9. Tree Funeral

Many indigenous tribes from regions such as Australia and Siberia preferred to lay the dead high, more precisely on trees. Wrapped in shrouds or cloths, the body then decomposed in the forest.

10. Towers of Silence

Zoroastrians believe that bodies are unclean and should not contaminate the earth through burial or cremation. For this reason, the dead are sent to the "tower of silence", ritual regions that are usually on top of mountains.

There, corpses are exposed to animals and natural elements. When only bones remain, they are collected and dissolved.