Just a note on this from the Jewish perspective, since that seems not to
have come up yet in this discussion.

Traditional Jewish burial in this country is usually in a plain pine/wood
coffin with no embalming except in relatively rare cases, and the same with
vaults, except where the water table requires. Bodies are wrapped in
shrouds within the coffin. In Israel, bodies are laid to rest directly in
the ground, wrapped in shrouds.

These two websites might be useful to those interested in learning more.
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/death.html
http://myjewishlearning.com/life/Life_Events/Death_and_Mourning.shtml

Martha Katz-Hyman
Curator
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Williamsburg, VA

On Tue, Sep 9, 2014 at 3:15 PM, Lyle E. Browning <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Embalming as it is in the majority done uses some very nasty chemicals.
> Vaults were one response to contain them. Metal coffins with rubber seals
> will eventually leak, as will vaults, sad to say. I just read about an
> alternative embalming method that does not produce the unnatural appearance
> of what is considered traditional embalming and appears not to have the
> nasty chemicals. At least it's better than the 19th century practice of
> arsenical embalming. Graveyards are a very problematical place in my world
> of archaeology.
>
> Lyle Browning
>

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