Forms of final disposition: Cremation
Things you should know before you go:
Forms of final disposition continued: Cremation, Part 1
By Andrew Hodges
July 2007
To begin our look at cremation as a form of disposition, this article will give a simple explanation of cremation, a short history the practice and some of the reasons people choose cremation, followed by a second article about what is involved.
When a person dies, decomposition sets in. If a person's body is buried, oxidation of body tissues will eventually result in complete decomposition, leaving only bone. Cremation, by using high levels of heat, provides rapid oxidation of the body.
Cremation has been around for a long time. The general agreement between anthropologists and historians is that cremation dates back to the early Stone Age and continued throughout history during the Mycenaean Age (1,000 B.C.), as an encouraged form of disposition, and in 800 B.C. for reasons of health and expedient burial of slain warriors on the battle field.
Early Christians and the Jewish faithful did not practice cremation, and by 400 A.D. -- when Emperor Constantine had Christianized his empire (Western Eurasia and Northern Africa)-- earth burial dominated except in during times of plague or war.
Cremation started its comeback in the 1870s in both Europe and North America thanks to an Italian professor who perfected a dependable cremation chamber. Sir Henry Thompson, concerned with hazardous health conditions, founded the Cremation Society of England, and in North America, Dr. Julius LeMoyne built the first crematory in Washington, Pennsylvania. Cremation eventually became accepted in the Christian faith.
Today, reasons why people choose cremation may include a preference for the body quickly returning to the elements and/or taking up less space than if buried. Some people choose cremation based on the belief that it costs less, which depends on the type of service selected. Certainly, the cost of a direct cremation without visitation and funeral service is less than a service that has a visitation and funeral with the body present. But, comparing direct cremation and direct burial, or a service with visitation and funeral that ends in burial, as oppose to cremation the final costs can be slightly different depending on individual choices.
Next month's article will look at what is required before cremation can take place, an explanation of how it is done and the costs involved.