How the dead help the living in the US, and why this practice has not taken hold in our country (9 photos)

It sounds absurd, but such a practice does take place - to observe the decomposition of bodies in different conditions.





So-called "body farms" are a common, albeit rare, phenomenon in the United States. There are seven such places in the country. The largest and most famous is the Freeman Ranch in San Marcos, Texas. It stores about 50 human corpses transferred to the Center for Forensic Anthropology at Texas State University, which uses them for research. Subsequently, they help doctors identify bodies, and police officers solve crimes.



A mournful but important place

At the "corpse farm" fragments of human bodies are scattered on the ground. At first glance, it may seem that the bodies, parts, individual organs are the location of some horror film. But the bodies are here for scientific purposes.





Special Cages

The Forensic Anthropology Research Facility (FARF) is a 25-acre, open-air human decomposition lab located on Texas State University's Freeman Ranch. It currently houses about 50 donated bodies. Some are caged to study bacterial decomposition. Others lie exposed to the sun so researchers can observe the effects of various scavengers.



The director of the Center for Forensic Anthropology at Texas Tech displays donated skeletons that are being stored for future research

This grim lab is where university anthropology students, law enforcement officers, and other researchers study corpses. The lab has been open since 2008 and has already studied the remains of 150 people. 200 people have pre-registered to donate their bodies after death for future research. It is an invaluable resource for the international forensic community and the second such facility in the United States.



Work is ongoing

But it's not just humans who benefit. A local deer once made headlines after being caught on camera chewing on a human rib. It was the first time a deer had been caught eating human remains, so any future incidents could provide unique scientific insights into the habits of this species.



As for the objects of study: the bodies were donated at the request of the deceased themselves or their families. This object is a cheap alternative to burial costs, and university students will travel throughout the state of Texas to pick up a person after death.



Some bodies are in cars

Similar places exist in Australia and Canada. In the future, they will open in India and the UK. It is clear that not everyone likes such a good initiative. Thus, people living or working nearby are afraid of the spread of infections, groundwater pollution and an increase in the number of parasites. And the smell leaves much to be desired.



Scavengers are part of the system

The introduction of such a practice, at least in the near future, is not planned due to the weak development of the body donation institution and ethical reasons. In order for such a project to be implemented, serious preparatory work is needed, including the development of a regulatory framework and the preparation of society for the importance of the task, within the framework of which it will be possible to help the living. Even in such a specific way.



"Corpse Farm" in Canada