Abstract: Articles of manufacture are described called environmentally degradable urns that are also equivalently called temporally degradable urns. Such urns are comprised of chemically and/or biologically and/or physically degradable materials manufactured to provide sealed geometric cavities suitable for the initial deposit of ashes following the cremation of human remains. One-piece castings of environmentally degradable material to hold the cremated remains are also described. Each environmentally degradable urn is designed to degrade within a predetermined period of time following burial in a particular terrestrial location in the earth. Terrestrial cemeteries comprised of one or more environmentally degradable urns placed into the earth are described. Methods of operation of cemeteries for such environmentally degradable urns are described which prescribe as little initial ecological disturbance as possible.

Abstract: Articles of manufacture are described called temporally degradable urns which are chemically and/or biologically degradable urns for the initial deposit of ashes following the cremation of human remains are described. Each temporally degradable urn is designed to degrade within a predetermined period of time following burial in the earth. Cemeteries comprised of one or more temporally degradable urns placed into the earth are described. Methods of operation of cemeteries for such temporally degradable urns are described which prescribe as little initial ecological disturbance as possible. After the predetermined period of time, the buried urns completely chemically and/or biologically disintegrate, therefore returning the land its previous ecological condition. Thereafter, that land becomes suitable for the preservation of flora and fauna. Such methods of operation of urn cemeteries can be used as the critical methodology for the routine and ongoing preservation of entire ecosystems.