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Period: 60,000 BCE to 50,000 BCE
Decoration
Neanderthals use flowers and antlers to decorate the dead. Although bodies were not buried at this time. Just were placed in areas or even in the open. -
Period: 50,000 BCE to 24,000 BCE
Burying
This was the first time bodies began to be buried underground. -
Period: 24,000 BCE to 4000 BCE
Embalming
Embalming was created by the Egyptians as well as burial mounds were seen. -
Period: 4000 BCE to 3400 BCE
Mummification
Mummification began to be the norm for Egyptians as it was the best way of going into the afterlife. -
Period: 3500 BCE to 400 BCE
Cremation
Funeral pyres existed for the purpose of cremating individuals. This was done by the ancient Greeks. -
Period: 400 BCE to 300
Japanese Burial Methods
in Japan, they created keyhole shaped burial mounds which were mainly used for important figures. -
Period: 400 to
Coffins
Coffins were created to protect "body snatching" especially during the Napoleonic Wars. -
Period: to
Chinese Methods
In China people began burying people into the side of mountains. -
Period: to
Cremation is back
Cremation became legal in England and began to be popularized again. -
Period: to
Jobs
Over 10,000 jobs were created because of the funeral industry. -
Period: to
Funeral Homes
25,000+ Funeral Homes were created in the U.S. alone. -
Period: to
Various Events
-JFK buried at Arlington National Cemetery
- "American Way of Death" - A famous book by Jessica Mitford came out.
- The Catholic church began to accept cremation -
Period: to
Memorial Day
Memorial Day became a federal holiday in the U.S. -
Period: to
Customization
People are customizing everything when it comes to funerals including coffins, urns and how they are to be buried. It is being a more complex system nowadays.