“Once we have come to terms with the inevitability of our death, then I believe we can fall in love with living” - Manda Scott

There is a lack of information available to the general public about the science of methane emissions from natural burial, but there is plenty of mis-information. In this blog, I have pasted a series of emails from Dr. Scott Bridgham, Professor and Director of Environmental Science Institute, University of Oregon.

As a felt maker, I have gravitated towards finding new and better ways of making ‘burial vessels’ that are inspired by our history of burial in wool (re: the law of 1666). I also wanted to offer an alternative to the linear and austere box/coffin shape which I personally find intimidating.

It all begins with an idea.

Archaeological evidence for the use of wool felt in a burial tomb comes from the Altai Mountains in Siberia. Dating from around 600 BC, the permafrost miraculously preserved some huge pieces of wool felt whose purpose is unknown, but their presence in the tomb suggests some ritual significance.

Over thousands of years humans have had such an impact on the landscape in the UK, it is hard for us to recognise now what is ‘natural’ and what is man-made. We are so used to seeing the uplands denuded of trees that we blindly accept this is ‘natural’. We follow paradigms without question: the UK looks green doesn’t it?

It all begins with an idea.

It all begins with an idea.

Animal welfare approved signage