For many cultures, the funeral is the last goodbye.

It's the final chance to say what needs said, or do what needs done, in order to honor

the ones we've lost.

But while the methods and purpose behind these rituals can vary drastically from one culture

to the next, one thing is common.

Among the vast majority, the burial.

We, Barry, are dead.

We've done it for an incredibly long time, and we've gotten very good at it.

Every year, archaeologists open new tombs that date back millennia, each one teaching

us something new about the cultures that time has caused us to forget.

And central to each of these discoveries is the burial itself.

The techniques, the beliefs, the ritual.

And it's not just about the dead.

The practice of honoring and burying our loved ones is just as much about our own feelings

of loss and grief as it is about our responsibility to care for those who've passed away.

No place personifies the act of burial, more than the local cemetery.

With their green lawns and neat rows of pale stones, graveyards are unique among urban

constructions.

They are respectfully avoided by some and obsessed over by others.

But whatever beliefs you might hold, or opinions you might have about them, graveyards are

a special place.

Stephen King explored the allure and power of the graveyard in his novel, Pet Cemetery.

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