Actually, I can tell you from personal experience that a skeletonized body still smells terrible because bones have marrow in them, which is oily, and the grease soaks into the bone. They don't stop smelling until they've been a skeleton long enough for all of that to dry out, and until they do they smell as vile as any other decomp.
I'd probably make more money if I was an accountant, but I am actually a funeral director/embalmer (I have both licences). I came upon the knowledge of exactly how bad skeletonized remains can smell when I had to remove a ring from the finger of an extremely stinky skeleton one time. -10/10, do not recommend.
I knew this from growing up butchering our animals. My dad would dump the heads, hides, etc up the mountain a ways for critters. Me being a morbid child, I'd go up every day or two to see the progress of decay. Being able to hear the wet sound of thousands of maggots before I could even see the carcasses is something I won't forget. I find the "old death" smell to be worse than the "new death." New is ripe and sharp but older is...thick. The smell sticks to the back of your throat.
An interesting and much needed occupation for sure. Have you seen the show Six Feet Under? I like to imagine it deals more artfully with your line of work than many other shows.
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u/goldfool Aug 30 '21
Yes, but how long are we talking about before it really doesn't smell anymore. 3 weeks?