Comment Re:American burial (Score 2) 145
Got a bit more contemporary reference than ancient Egypt? I didn't say no one else does this (or that something similar can't be found historically), just made the point that what is described as "conventional burial" (in the US, as the article is about) is just one situation of burial, but that burying the dead does not actually require formaldehyde or an indestructible coffin, as proven in plenty of other places.
Natural burial is legal in all 50 states. It's a constitutionally-protected freedom for which we can thank Orthodox Jews. The funeral industry will do everything in their power to try to convince you that you MUST spend $10-15,000 to have a loved one interred, but it's simply not true. Do your homework ahead of time. Don't do anything stupid (a family I know ended up paying for embalming AND cremation). Put your wishes in a Directive for Disposition of Remains, to be kept with your will, and make damn sure somebody knows about it, or your corpse will roll up thousands of dollars worth of debt within hours of death.
