16 HUMAN DISSECTION. ITS DRAMA AND STRUGGLE 



she was avoided. Tatooing and mutilation were practiced for the 

 purpose of publicizing previous proximity to death. 



The modern custom of temporary retirement from social 

 life on the death of a family member originated from these old 

 savage practices designed to warn fellow members against mingling 

 with those intimately exposed to the corpse. In primitive times, 

 actual existence was thought to be at stake so that very definite 

 taboos were placed upon mourners and the mere mention of the 

 deceased. 



The motivating factor which lead to burial of the dead was 

 fear of ghosts. They could either cause the "long sleep" by means 

 of contagion or they could perform other vindictive acts. The 

 procedure of choice was, therefore, to dispose of the body and 

 demon at one stroke, in other words, the supposition and hope 

 was that the ghost accompanied its relics. This was a part of the 

 rationalizing behind the origination of the customs of burning, 

 burying and other methods of taking care of the dead. Some meas- 

 ure of peace and security was apparently felt when a subject was 

 buried five or six feet below the surface of the ground. This prac- 

 tice can be traced as far back as Neanderthal man, who lived 

 in the ancient paleolithic period, perhaps a half million years 

 ago; there was some indication that these primitive people buried 

 their cadavers with food and stone weapons. At the risk of sound- 

 ing gruesome, it can be mentioned that sometimes the bodies 

 were cut up before burial and parts of the flesh eaten. This was 

 done out of a feeling of reverence for the departed; it was con- 

 sidered as an honor to the dead, the survivors hoping to retain 

 some of the virtue and strength of the deceased. It was in this 

 fashion that the breaking of the earth and preparation of the 

 grave developed into a ceremony accompanied by dancing and 

 feasting. 



Eventually, death came gradually to be looked upon as the 

 last great event of a man's life which should be duly celebrated. 

 From the evolutionary viewpoint, at first it was only the important 

 leaders, the strong men, who were accorded elaborate burial and 

 ceremonial rites. Dancing and stamping were performed to 

 frighten away the evil spirits whereas feasting and sacrificing 

 were done in honor of the dead. Nighttime, with the moon 



