Crosswords1 min ago
How long do coffins take to biodegrade?
4 Answers
Is it many many years? If so, why is it not allowed to exhume it within a year of death?
Answers
1 to 4 of 4
Best Answer
No best answer has yet been selected by filthiestfis. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
Hi Ed.
I'm unsure as to where you've got the idea that coffins can't be exhumed within a year of death (or should that be 'burial'?). There have been some criminal cases where the police have exhumed corpses within days of burial.
The time taken for a wooden coffin to decompose will depend upon its local environment. A wooden coffin buried in peat might never truly decompose; instead it could simply become 'petrified'. (Archaeologists have recovered some of the earliest wooden coffins, from peaty soil, largely intact).
Coffins buried in more normal soil conditions will decompose at similar rates to, say, wooden fence posts. (Fence posts are treated to slow the rate of decomposition. Coffins don't undergo exactly similar treatments but the varnish used will probably have a somewhat similar effect).
Anyway, under most circumstances, surely it's not the decomposition of the coffin that's relevant, but the decomposition of the corpse within it. If you're not squeamish, the Australian Museum (based in New South Wales) has some relevant (and detailed) information on its wonderfully-named website:
http://www.deathonline.net/decomposition/index .htm
Chris
I'm unsure as to where you've got the idea that coffins can't be exhumed within a year of death (or should that be 'burial'?). There have been some criminal cases where the police have exhumed corpses within days of burial.
The time taken for a wooden coffin to decompose will depend upon its local environment. A wooden coffin buried in peat might never truly decompose; instead it could simply become 'petrified'. (Archaeologists have recovered some of the earliest wooden coffins, from peaty soil, largely intact).
Coffins buried in more normal soil conditions will decompose at similar rates to, say, wooden fence posts. (Fence posts are treated to slow the rate of decomposition. Coffins don't undergo exactly similar treatments but the varnish used will probably have a somewhat similar effect).
Anyway, under most circumstances, surely it's not the decomposition of the coffin that's relevant, but the decomposition of the corpse within it. If you're not squeamish, the Australian Museum (based in New South Wales) has some relevant (and detailed) information on its wonderfully-named website:
http://www.deathonline.net/decomposition/index .htm
Chris
I have ALWAYS heard that its a one year wait before a coffin can be exhumed. At least, where I come from (Buenchico you should know my place of origin too) it IS the case.
We would like to move my father to a better place within the cemetery but have to wait one year to do this. Same thing happened with another relative that passed on a couple of years ago.
We would like to move my father to a better place within the cemetery but have to wait one year to do this. Same thing happened with another relative that passed on a couple of years ago.
1 to 4 of 4
Related Questions
Sorry, we can't find any related questions. Try using the search bar at the top of the page to search for some keywords, or choose a topic and submit your own question.