ABSTRACT
Most societies see biological death as just one of the aspects of the journey of life. All societies have a funerary system, divided into three major parts: (1) pretreatment, (2) mortuary treatment, and (3) commemorative behaviors. Pretreatment is the preparation of the living for death. Mortuary treatment involves the actual management of the body after death, including its initial preparation and its final interment, and may include mortuary facilities such as mortuaries, graves, tombs, or cemeteries. Finally, commemorative behaviors, which can begin during pretreatment and last long after mortuary treatment, include bereavement, mourning, and patterns of ritual.
