Since the Paleolithic era, groups of people have been intentionally engaging in burial practices guided by spiritual beliefs. Burying loved ones is an ancient practice that has evolved slowly over time.
The reasons for burial seem to be relatively uniform regardless of culture, and showing respect for the dead is chief among them. The specifics of the custom vary considerably, but burial is present in some form in most cultures. It’s worth noting that some other species bury their dead, including elephants and chimpanzees, indicating that a biological impetus helps inform these choices.
Interring the dead prevents scavengers like birds from eating a decaying body. While the process of decomposition still happens underground, of course, the importance of preserving the physical body after death is a concept that has remained with humans through the ages. Mummification and embalming are techniques that have been historically used to slow the decomposition process. Today, the process of cryopreservation (extreme cold temperatures used to preserve the physical body) are similarly employed.
An exception to underground internment exists in Tibet where “sky burials” are standard practice. This leaves a body exposed to the elements so that it may easily re-enter the life-cycle as food.
The art of burying the deceased has developed and changed over the years to involve interment in above-ground dwellings such as tombs and crypts. Tombs comprise some of the oldest man-made structures in the world, such as the Cairn of Barnenez in France, which dates to about 4800 BC. Many of these early tombs were rudimentary, but they set the stage for similar, more elaborate dwellings as centuries passed. Egypt famously perfected the elaborate tomb as a means to ensure immortality for royalty. The deceased were often interred with “grave goods” thought to be useful or necessary in the afterlife, a belief that had existed for thousands of years.
In the 21st century, a variety of alternatives are available, largely spurred on by increasing concern with environmental factors and changing beliefs. Underground interment still constitutes nearly half of funerary care worldwide, with cremation making up a majority of the rest. While funeral practices have evolved to reflect the modern world (and to accommodate the increasing population), burying the dead is still the most widely-used method. Being entombed in a pyramid is probably not an option for everyone. However, other options include green burials, cremation, or even being pressed into a vinyl album. There is no shortage of options for one’s life after life.