Conclusions

In my research for this site, I came across a number of different approaches to death. I stumbled upon living people preparing for their own deaths by designing the urns that would eventually carry their bodies. I found individuals who were afraid of letting a loved one slip away without a graspable token of their former presence. I saw urns as an ancient art form, exquisitely unique artifacts, or alternatively as mass produced reproductions or simple pots. I found a history of cremation, pages detailing religious views on the disposal and preservation of worldly bodies. I found views on life and death vastly different than my own, some that struck a chord with me, and some that sent me in a new direction.

In the end, an urn is an empty container that, with enough time, will turn to dust just like every other object in the universe. What an urn houses are the remains of people, animals, or objects that we once knew, once touched, and once cherished—and maybe that's all that matters.