People were buried in the dirt for many many years all over the world.
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Buried in the dirt is fine. In fact the idea of trying preserve the dead with chemicals etc is to me utterly barbaric and disgusting. But this NY plan is not simply letting the bodies decompose natural in graveyards. It’s turning the bodies into soil amendments which is offensive and disgusting. My pov for years... As a child in New England, wandering around by myself or on walks with parents, I saw old family grave yards here and there. Respectful and eco-friendly. :-D
I wonder if the burial of people in caskets started so animals couldn’t easily dig us up and drag our remains around town? I’m not sure why we started the practice of trying to preserve bodies with chemicals. I don’t think that’s necessary and I’m sure there are customs around the world where that isn’t part of the process. There may not be a solid foundation for keeping our dead out of the gardens where we grow our food, but it sure makes me feel better that we currently do.