If a body is buried in a coffin very deep the ground it could take 50 years for all the tissue to de-compose, and hundreds of years for the bones to fully decay.
Exposure to air or water speeds up the process, as does animals and insects feeding on tissue.*
Around 54,000 people die in Scotland every year, yet most of us have never seen a dead body. Where once people would take care of their dying and dead loved ones within the family home, now most deaths take place in institutions like hospitals and care homes, and are dealt with healthcare and funeral professionals.
Is this all good? Or do we need to become more open about death?
*According to curiosity.com
