Strange, is it not? That of the myriads who
Before us passed the door of Darkness through,
Not one returns to tell us of the road,
Which to discover we must travel too.

—Omar Khayyám

Death is the inevitable conclusion of life, a universal destiny that all living creatures share. Although all societies throughout history have realized that death is the certain fate of human beings, different cultures have responded to it in different ways. Through the ages, attitudes toward death and dying have changed and continue to change, shaped by religious beliefs and philosophical traditions. In modern times advances in medical science and technology further influence ideas about death and dying.

Ancient Times

Archaeologists have found that as early as the Paleolithic period (about 2.5 to 3 million years ago), humans held specific beliefs about death...