Although there is a graveyard, dying is not permitted in Longyearbyen! In fact, this small settlement does not have enough facilities for the elderly or long-term sick. Anyone unfortunate enough to break the "no dying" rule will find that their remains have to be shipped back to the mainland (400 miles) for burial. This is because it was discovered that the permafrost on Svalbard does not allow for adequate decomposition of bodies. The crosses in this photo are marking graves that are all more than 70 years old.
No comments:
Post a Comment