It is a dirty job, but someone has to do it. What specifically am I referring to? I am referencing the position of understanding the processes of death, specifically how decomposition happens and how that can and does affect bioarchaeological and forensic anthropological interpretations of the dead. This area of study is formally known as taphonomy, and in this blog post you will learn about the stages and processes of decomposition.
The first step of decomposition if the autolysis step. This is when the body undergoes the chemical processes of breaking down the organic tissues. This occurs shortly after death as the body stop maintaining the chemical processes to support life, and it is a naturally occurring aspect of death. This process occurs on a regular timeline if and when no external factors, such as extreme heat or cold, exist. If and when they do they will either speed up or slow down (respectively) the autolysis process and overall decomposition of the organic remains (i.e. the body)
The next step is known as the putrefaction step. This is where, through the breakdown of the body tissues by bacteria, that gases naturally form. This causes the body, particularly the gut region, to expand, leading to a bloated body. This process can also be expedited by heat or hindered by cold. This step often takes place within hours of death.
Eventually the body will contract as these gases dissipate and/or are released from the body, often coinciding with the point where the bodies fluids (e.g. urine and feces) are also naturally expelled. This lack of fluid and gases causes the body’s soft tissues, specifically skin, to recede, creating the illusion of hair and nail growth as the skin shrink and shrivels from its lively form. It was actually this process that reinforced the notions of the deceased and vampirism. This stage is also critical because in the appropriate conditions the body can become mummified or adipocere can occur. Adipocere is when a small amount of moisture comes in contact with the body, creating a wax like texture to the body that is preserved as such. (Note, if you are curious but have a weak stomach do not look it up.)
The final stage of decomposition is the skeletonization stage. This is where all of the soft tissues have decayed away, be it from natural wasting processes, being consumed by scavengers, insects, or bacteria, or otherwise removed through another unnatural process. The hard tissues of the skeleton do not decompose as easily and therefore will remain for far longer than the soft tissues. The bones, however, do not exist indefinitely and will eventually decay away as well. This process is dependent on climatic conditions, with wet and hot climates expediting the decomposition whereas cold and dry climates hamper it. Freezing and warming conditions will also eventually aid in decomposition, particularly if the bones get wet. The freezing and thawing process will break apart the bones, making it easier for them to decompose.
Ultimately, you may be wondering why the study of taphonomy is necessary, and the answer is simple: we must know these processes to understand how to interpret the remains of the deceased. This information can be useful in understanding how long an individual has been dead, how they may have met their end, as well as what may have happened to them after death. Without this understanding one might misinterpret natural decomposition processes as something despicable or overlook evidence of a crime or postmortem (after death) alteration. This is important when investigating criminal cases or archaeological contexts as both inquiries involve a pursuit of accurate interpretation of the evidence to gain more knowledge.
Works Cited
Dupras, T. L., Schultz, J. J., Wheeler, S. M., & Williams, L. J. (2011). Forensic Recovery of Human Remains: Archaeological Approaches, Second Edition. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
13 comments:
I found this article very intriguing, as it thoroughly broke down the process for which a body is decomposed.
I find this article very much interesting because I offered wondered how does the autopsy occurs while the body decompose, and I realize while ready this article that through intensive Heath or cold the body decomposition rate becomes slower.
Shemar Fletcher
This article is interesting to me because of the way the steps are explained step by step of how the body decomposes. The thing that I love is that you mention how the heat and cold can change the speed that a body can decompose.
Jada Johnson
Reuben Nichols
This article was a very captivating one. Throughout this article, I was priviledged to learn about the stages that occur during decomposition. I always wondered why dead bodies would become bloated and this was greatly explained in this article. I also became aware of the fact that temperatures due to climatic confitions can influence the rate at which decomposition can occur. I was able to relate this with the freezing of bodies at morgues which help to slow down the rate at which the bodies decompose.
Chamaje Barideaux
The putrefaction step is the step right when they die and the body gets cold , I didnt understand why the body gets cold right away.
The body maintains its body temperature by the inner workings of the body. When those workings stop, a result of death, then the body cannot maintain its body temperature and gets cold.
This is a very interesting post. The processes of a human and the way in which they decompose is especially important and makes sense in an anthropology scale as time and determination although may be too long. But knowing thee process can be understandable and add more insight. The part in which you discuss the deification I have wondered what happens at death in that case, thanks for more knowledge!
Qwynn Marquez
This blog is important because not only dose it break down human decomposition it explains the importance in a bioarchaeological and forensic anthropological as well. - Charles ransom
Very interesting blog about the process of decomposition. When i thought of decomposition before this blog I usually imagined a skeleton but it was informative to learn about how tissues break down during the process.
Great Blog I never knew that decomposition occurred this way. I thought your body automatically fossilized. It was nice to know step by step how a human body decomposes.
-Jasmine Hill
Reading this article was interesting. I didn’t know that your body goes through a lot of steps when decomposing. I thought that over the years it eventually turns into a skeleton. I’m afraid to die because I don’t want to go in the dirt and then bugs get all on my body and eats my body up.
AJ Moore
This blog discussed how the body is decomposed. Heat and cold can change how fast the body decomposes.
- Jada Watkins
It is very intriguing how the body knows when to release chemicals to break down the body's organic matter so that the deceased can decompose. I also did not know that the bloating stage came hours after death I always thought it was much later in decomposition I definitely learned something new. Renn Bullard
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