If society is fractured enough, present legal options for body disposal might be unavailable.
the traditional mass graves with lime "Pitch and ditch" might be neccessary and common for a while, but sooner or later, tribes or families are going to have to deal with the deaths of individuals. Not only which method would you choose, but which methods might you be for or against?

Quote from: Eyesabide on March 19, 2012, 05:03:02 PM
    If society is fractured enough, present legal options for body disposal might be unavailable.
the traditional mass graves with lime "Pitch and ditch" might be neccessary and common for a while, but sooner or later, tribes or families are going to have to deal with the deaths of individuals. Not only which method would you choose, but which methods might you be for or against?

I can only talk for my wife and myself cremation is our choice now and down the line.  Each family would have to deal with that as it come.   I am not one to mourn the dead as they are with me always, as long as I am alive.  If I am dead I am with them one way or the other.  I also wlould have no problem being left for the critters to live off of.  But thats just my way of thinking.

creamation would be a popular choice, I am sure. but would cremations be done by appointed people in your group?  it has only been about three generations since families taking care of there own were somewhat common. would there be a pyre of some sort? a common area agreed on by a group that would attain some sacred or soul purpose for cremations?

As for me.....cremation with the ashes returned to the cycle of life via the sea.

...'via the sea' you ask?  Yes, and given a proper amount of time everyone will get a piece of my azz through the food chain.......I get the last laugh. LOL!

Cremation is the way I want to go even if society doesn't collapse. Just burn me into ashes and put those ashes at the bottom of the hole when they plant a new tree.

Thanks for the responses, however, I seem to not have gotten my point across for discussion.
Cremation is in many situations a very good solution. What I am trying to learn, is the taking care of the bodies going to be done by the closest relative? A person assigned by the group? will a crematorium  be set aside? It is an uncomfortable situation, and I am not looking for Donner parties to be springing up across the apocolyptic land scape. So, not so much how you think the body should be disposed, but the factors around the act.

In my case, if professional services are not available, I too wish to be creamated, and would think a seperate but crude crematorium furnace away from the main living area would be permanently available, being tended by a person designated by my group. For sanitary reasons it would be single purpose, although I have talked to people who would have a modified section of a forge for cremations.

I think one solution would be to dig a pit about three feet deep and long enough to accommodate a body.
Fill it with dry wood, stacked about 3' above ground, lay the body on top of the pyre, and light.
Once the fuel is exhausted, simply fill it in with the dirt.

Soylent Green...

-Dr Watt

Quote from: Dr_Watt on April 01, 2012, 09:03:29 PM
Soylent Green...

-Dr Watt

At 66 years old, I don't think I'm going to be up for digging 6'+L x 3'W x 6'D. Creamation sounds to be the way to go. The pit with wood stacked sounds good to me.

Quote from: Possumpoint on April 02, 2012, 11:58:52 AM
At 66 years old, I don't think I'm going to be up for digging 6'+L x 3'W x 6'D. Creamation sounds to be the way to go. The pit with wood stacked sounds good to me.

And if things get really bad, a little less wood could make for quite a BBQ.

OK, I'm leaving now...