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Cremation history and the development of urns
Cremations date back to the early Stone Age, around 3,000 B.C. The practice has an interesting history and created division around the world about whether it should be done at all. A number of religions were against it because they believed in preserving the whole body of the deceased. Several of them have changed their attitudes as time has gone on, but some still hold to their beliefs and do not use cremation.
The oldest evidence of cremations has been found in Europe. The burial practice was very popular at the end of the Stone Age, particularly in western Russia and the neighbouring Slavic nations. Many artefacts from this time have been uncovered in the countries, including pottery cremation urns.
Cremation spread to Eastern Europe in the Bronze Age, appearing in Britain, Spain, Portugal and northern countries too. By the Mycenaean Age, around 1,000 B.C. it became customary in Greece. They accepted the need for cremations because it was seen as the most hygienic type of funeral. This belief still holds to this day.The oldest evidence of cremations has been found in Europe. The burial practice was very popular at the end of the Stone Age, particularly in western Russia and the neighbouring Slavic nations. Many artefacts from this time have been uncovered in the countries, including pottery cremation urns.
The Romans also took to cremation and began using the practice sometime around 600 B.C. They started using highly elaborate urns to store the ashes of the deceased. The pottery could feature beautiful designs and the urns were commonly placed in columbaria.
The rise of Christianity caused a decline in cremations and a return to traditional earthen burials. For over 1,500 years cremations were only done on rare occasions in Christian countries across Europe, including when there was a plague or war.
Cremation made a resurgence in the 1870s after the hygiene benefits were once again promoted. The return was not smooth at first but changing attitudes caused a huge rise in the number of people opting for it. In the UK the number of cremations each year now outnumbers burials. The practice is used across Europe and has continued to grow in the US too.
As the number of cremations has increased, there has also been a rise in the demand for suitable urns. Since the Greek and Roman eras people have stored the ashes of a deceased loved one in a decorative urn. This is still done to this day alongside scattering the remains. Urns are very different now, and come in a range of shapes and sizes as well as being made of different types of materials including stone, timber and even metal.
We stock a beautiful selection of child and adult cremation urns for clients across the UK. We source the highest quality items to help people choose a fitting urn for the person they loved. All urns are available online via our website so each client can view our products with ease and place an order whenever they want to.