Background: A human comprises body, soul and spirit; following death, the body left behind must be disposed.  Terrestrial interment is favourite amongst kinsfolks and Anatomy as a discipline has a role by way of archaeology, forensics and training.  This study inquired about practices in Nigeria and specifically into body decomposition, cemeteries’ potential for groundwater contamination, and gestural sign of artefacts in archaeologic auditing.

Methods: A proforma with socio-demographics and burial characteristics designed and performed in Southwestern, Nigeria. Burial depths were measured with tape after gaining consent from relations. Collation and analysis of data by statistical package for social sciences.

Results: Burial grounds of 307 were randomly explored within a year with male-to-female ratio of 3 to 2; Christianity 246(80.1%), Islam 43(14.0%), African Traditional Religions 15(4.9%) and others 3(1.0%); Diseases and old age were major causes of death and 67.1% had embalmment and delayed burial. Graves were mainly of sandy soil with mean depth 5.40 feet. Over 70% of burial vaults were uncemented and incorporation of artefacts in only 26.4%. Time of burial proved sine qua non to choice and mode of embalmment.

Conclusion:  Largely sandy soil favoured decomposition to maceration. The significant deeper depth favoured sanitization while coffination and internment in uncemented burial vaults favoured maceration. Potential to contaminate underground water was reduced with respect to most graves sited on plain ground. Incorporation of artefacts was commoner amongst people practicing African Traditional Religions. A need to create and involve Inspectors of Anatomy in matters related to human remains is suggested.

Background: Scoring systems for tissue preservation and embalmment can be likened to trauma scoring systems for their pivotal roles in healthcare institutions for evaluation and auditing purposes. Albeit, embalmment cannot always guarantee exact ante-mortem state, the present study was designed to validate the scoring tool that had been developed in appropriating medical and social needs of embalming practices.

Methods: The study was one-year hospital-based using the standardized forms A, B and C of ‘Relative’s Perspective Scale of Embalmment’ for data collection.  ‘Form A’ was self-explanatory and scored by the relatives of the dead. ‘Form B’ was handled by mortuary director, likewise ‘Form C’ for auditing. Reliability and descriptive statistics were applied to report the validation outcome data for the Likert-styled Form A. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance.

Results: Only 94 out of 129 bodies released within a year were deemed fit for the study (amounting to 73% of the bodies) due to exclusion criteria. Cronbach’s alpha reliability score of 0.710 (Acceptable) was recorded. Descriptive statistics further showed mode 33, median 33.5, range 19-45, mean 34.2±6.9 and response score of 76%. Assertion Q8 in Form A was the most reliable.

Conclusion: Offensive odour from the embalming centre needed to be addressed. Final validatory judgement ‘RPSE-D’ interpreted ‘Improve on mortuary operation’ rightly projected this scoring tool for evidence based embalmment. Some modification exercises suggested because of commercial venture of the mortuary in order to encourage more patronage and consequential acquisition of cadavers for research and medical education.