Tibetan Sky Burial

I don't know that this is quite so common anymore (globalization/civilization of the barbarians having had its proper effect) but certainly at one time at least, a widespread funerary practice in Tibet was the Sky Burial.

Sky burial is basically ritualized dissection, where the body is cut in specific location and placed in an open area--then is free to be eaten by birds of prey (or SPIRITS). In Tibet the practice is known as jhator (Tibetan: བྱ་གཏོར་; Wylie: bya gtor), which literally means, "giving alms to the birds." (Thank you, Wikipedia).

Because most of Tibet is at such a high altitude that it is above the treeline, and lacks much topsoil, standard burial isn't an option--cremation is hard too, given that fuel is scarce. The Sky Burial is a practical way to get rid of the remains--and if you're Buddhist and going to be reborn anyway, then the body is only a vessel, and, being unimportant, can be disposed of in what we would consider a relatively "casual" way.