The Corpse: A History

Couverture
McFarland, 27 oct. 2005 - 368 pages

Throughout the centuries, different cultures have established a variety of procedures for handling and disposing of corpses. Often the methods are directly associated with the deceased's position in life, such as a pharaoh's mummification in Egypt or the cremation of a Buddhist.

Treatment by the living of the dead over time and across cultures is the focus of this study. Burial arrangements and preparations are detailed, including embalming, the funeral service, storage and transport of the body, and forms of burial. Autopsies and the investigative process of causes of deliberate death are fully covered. Preservation techniques such as cryonic suspension and mummification are discussed, as well as a look at the "recycling" of the corpse through organ donation, donation to medicine, animal scavengers, cannibalism, and, of course, natural decay and decomposition. Mistreatments of a corpse are also covered.

 

Table des matières

Introduction
1
Part I The Corpse as an Object of Grief
7
Part II The Last Rites of a Corpse
47
Part III The Corpse and the Causes of Death
105
Part IV The Recycling of the Corpse
175
Part V The Keeping of the Corpse
231
Part VI Respect for the Corpse
275
References
313
Bibliography
337
Index
345
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À propos de l'auteur (2005)

The late Christine Quigley authored books and articles, wrote an eclectic blog called Quigley’s Cabinet and reviewed books for Fortean Times.

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