inhumation

funeral custom

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

Inhumation is the funeral custom of placing a dead body in its final resting place. It is synonymous with burial, interment, entombment, and sepulture. This practice is contrasted with cremation, which is the disposal of a dead body by burning. Evidence suggests that some ancient cultures practiced both inhumation and cremation. Related terms include funeral, embalmment, and reburial. The antonyms for inhumation are exhumation and disinterment, which refer to the act of unearthing a body.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

burial
Inhumation
Burial in the ground by hollowing out a trench in the earth for the body or covering it with rocks or dirt dates back at least to the Middle Paleolithic Period. Grave burial, or inhumation, may be simple or elaborate. Some Eskimo people cover…
Read More
Burial in the ground by hollowing out a trench in the earth for the body or covering it with rocks or dirt dates back at least to the Middle Paleolithic Period. Grave burial, or inhumation, may be simple or elaborate. Some Eskimo people cover…
Read More

history of Europe
Prestige and status
…Urnfield Period was replaced by inhumation graves with magnificent displays of wealth. During the Late Hallstatt Period these changes were most dramatically reflected by the group of so-called princely graves in west-central Europe. These were immensely rich burials in large barrows, in which the construction of grave chamber and barrow…
Read More
…Urnfield Period was replaced by inhumation graves with magnificent displays of wealth. During the Late Hallstatt Period these changes were most dramatically reflected by the group of so-called princely graves in west-central Europe. These were immensely rich burials in large barrows, in which the construction of grave chamber and barrow…
Read More

Roman religion
Sacrifice and burial rites
…of Rome both cremation and inhumation were practiced simultaneously, but by the 2nd century bce the former had prevailed. Some 300 years later, however, there was a massive reversion to inhumation, probably because of an inarticulate revival of the feeling that the future welfare of the soul depended on comfortable…
Read More
…of Rome both cremation and inhumation were practiced simultaneously, but by the 2nd century bce the former had prevailed. Some 300 years later, however, there was a massive reversion to inhumation, probably because of an inarticulate revival of the feeling that the future welfare of the soul depended on comfortable…
Read More