Paper short abstract:

This paper explores de/composition within the context of natural burial. It draws on data gathered from ethnographic work at four burial sites and photographic evidence from a longitudinal study of a single woodland burial site.

Paper long abstract:

This paper explores de/composition within the context of natural burial. It draws on data gathered from ethnographic work at four burial sites and photographic evidence from a longitudinal study of a single woodland burial site. An underlying ethos of the natural burial movement is the ecological sustainability of the burial landscape and anything that might delay or contaminate this process, such as embalming, is actively discouraged. Some of our research participants spoke positively of the contribution the decomposing bodies of their loved ones would make to these emerging landscapes. While the appearance of all cemeteries will undergo seasonal change, such transitions are more exaggerated in the natural burial landscape. Our photographic work captures the passing of the seasons and records the powerful cycles of growth, decay and re-growth that contribute to an ever-changing above-ground vista. As one season slowly cedes to another and, in the absence of headstones, the graves begin to merge with the surrounding landscape. Through photographic imagery we reveal myriad ways in which bereaved people sought to resist this latter process in order to preserve the individuality of the grave and its occupant. Through so doing, we explore the tensions and contradictions inherent in the natural burial site and the diverse ways in which people understand the relationship between the decomposition of the dead body, the earth and the vegetation that compose this landscape.