When a human being dies, two things occur: a social being disappears, and a cadaver emerges. Both of these cause a form of crisis that is experienced by humans across time and cultures. The responses to this shared experience, however, are incredibly diverse, and framed within a cultural structure. This talk will discuss the importance of mortuary ritual as a strategic way to act in the face of crisis. It will place the practical treatment of the dead body at the center —as a materialization of death, but also as a locus around which humans can make sense of death, perform it, and achieve a sense of control over it. Through a discussion of the complex relationships between the self and the body, the liminal character of the cadaver, the ritual process, and the human need for the world to “make sense,” I will explore examples of mortuary ritual from prehistory and our contemporary world in order to ultimately create a sense of deeper understanding of the human condition in the face of death.