why do humans bury the dead?

Answer 1

Human burial practices seek to demonstrate "respect for the dead", for the following reasons:

1. Respect for the physical remains is considered necessary. If left lying on top of the ground, scavengers may eat the corpse, which is considered highly disrespectful to the deceased in many (but not all) cultures.

2. Burial can be seen as an attempt to bring closure to the deceased's family and friends. By interring a body away from plain view, the pain of losing a loved one can be lessened.

3. Many cultures believe in an afterlife. Burial is often believed to be a necessary step for an individual to reach the afterlife.

4. Many religions prescribe a "right" way to live, which includes customs relating to disposal of the dead.

5. Burning/Electrocuting is the best solution but again humans dont want their loved ones to 'feel' the pain even after death.
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Finally, availability of lots of space which will soon be a constraint in cosmopolitan cities.

Answer 2

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Because if the smell of decay is obvious, animals will come around and dig up the bodies for food. It's no mystical or religious reason. That's the reason. Would you rather bury your dead and prevent a wild bear from appearing to eat the body? Or would you prefer your loved ones body is protected by being buried.

Now, nothing will prevent things like worms from getting to the body. But that's a good thing. It helps the body start decomposing and poses no threat to the surrounding living people.

Answer 3

the crude answer would be 'so they don't stink'.
we, not the world, but we, bury our dead and give them a plaque so that family may go to visit and pray with/for them. it is also so that the dying may feel that they won't be forgotten. for myself, I believe that the best system for all, especially since many countries can no longer afford to give up good land for a cemetary, is that in which the dead are burned and placed in an urn which can then be placed in a wall with appropriate id. using much less space, the dead are well looked after as well as the living, and there is still a commemoration for any that need it.

Answer 4

Health reasons.If left alone,decaying matter would stink.Animals could drag around & carrying some parts in their possesion.It may not look nice.Isn't?
I heard some community in North India take their dead ones to the nearest mountain top & allow it to be featsed by vultures.Logic-- even in dead you should be useful to others..things like that.
Many of us are not useful to others even while living.........
And not all the dead ones could be given to Medics for research.Isn't?
So, bury or fire...............

Answer 5

To stop the spread of disease. Say you leave your dead on top of the ground, easy access to animals. They come, scavange, cart off the limbs which have the plague (or whatever nasty disease is going around at the time) and spread it to other areas. Burial is mainly a public health service.

Answer 6

because then they dont stink, and it was also beleived that if you buried them far enough down that then the spirit would couldnt come back. not all people buried there dead though, some would float them off on icebergs or down a river, others beleived in funeral pyres, or death ships/

Answer 7

a number of reasons.

1 has always been done by homo erectus
2 decaying stench
3 respect
4 keeps animals away from respected elders
5 sanitary needs
6 fertilizes ground
7 ceremony of belief

the list goes on and on

Answer 8

If you left them lying where they died, animals and birds would eat them. If we love someone we don't want anything messing with them if they are alive OR dead.

Answer 9

All the above answers are correct, but nowadays, i guess people are just to lazy to change tradition.

Maybe its just me, but I'd much rather be cremated.

Answer 10

cuz it would be weird to keep them above ground when they are dead