Dead Loved Flesh

The corpse is the intangible and physical sign of death. The response of culture to this repulsive natural form is at first apparent in the means used to understand the object: name it, identify the signs and define it, discuss its nature, explore it scientifically and visualize it. It is also seen in customs and practices, in accordance with the traditional, contemporary or futuristic procedures for the obligation of burial. This issue of Communications addresses the language, knowledge and know-how concerning the dead, adopting a multidisciplinary approach bringing together legal experts, linguists, historians, sociologists, anthropologists, medical doctors and artists