Whether you're planning the funeral of a loved one or pre-planning for your own eventual demise, you'll be confronted with choosing between a traditional burial and cremation. While a regular grave site burial can offer the comfort of tradition, you may want to opt for cremation instead, and not just because of the lower cost and simpler preparations. Here are two odd reasons to consider cremation.

Avoid Becoming a Museum Display

Most people don't think about what may happen to their bodies after they've been buried. However, it's probably something more people should consider. After all, when the Egyptians entombed their loved ones in pyramids, it's unlikely any of them believed future generations would break into their graves, steal their bodies and riches, and put them both on display.

The reality is that the longer you are in the ground, the higher the chance you may become a museum exhibit when a future archaeologist digs up your grave. While it's true the fleshy parts of the body generally deteriorate rapidly, bones have a tendency to stick around for a long time. The oldest human skeleton is 2.8 million years old.

If you want to avoid having your or your loved one's body end up in the National Museum of the future, you may want to consider cremation and scattering the ashes in a peaceful final resting place.

Be Buried in Unique Places

Due to local, state, and federal regulations, the places where a body can be buried are limited. Many cities and states require people to bury loved ones in approved cemeteries to minimize the risk of spreading disease or contaminating the environment. Sometimes you can get a permit to bury a loved one on private property, but that can be a hassle. In Indiana, for instance, you must establish a $100,000 perpetuity fund for the care of the private cemetery after your whole family has passed on.

Conversely, people who are cremated can have their ashes spread anywhere they can get permission, and people have ended up in some neat places. For instance, ashes are being used to build coral reefs in the ocean. Some people are being launched into space, and others have been compressed and formed into faux diamonds.

Cremation opens the door to more burial options, which provides you with a lot more flexibility in planning a memorable send off for yourself or your loved one.

For more information about these and other reasons to consider cremation over burial, contact a funeral home near you.