Graves usually last for around one hundred years, often longer. Legally, most graves cannot be sold for over 100 years in the UK. After a century, only teeth may remain in a grave. Grave plots may be leased for periods between 10 and 100 years. After several decades, graves may be reused if original leases expire.
Decomposition and Grave Maintenance
Steel or metal caskets tend to last longer underground than other types. Natural materials like cotton and linen biodegrade faster than synthetic fibers when buried. New graves can sink due to loose soil settling into place. Graves subsidence happens naturally but can be managed by cemeteries. It takes around 10-15 years for a buried body to decompose to a skeleton. Coffins tend to decompose faster in light, dry soil than in wet, heavy clay.
Respecting Graves
It is disrespectful to walk on graves. Eventually, the graveyard gets overgrown.
Historical Context
Humans have buried their dead since the Paleolithic era. The oldest existing carved gravestone dates back to 1697.