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1 CE
Initial Decay
0 to 3 days after death
Although it may appear fresh from the outside, the bacteria inside the body is beginning to feed on the contents of the intestine.
From the moment of death, flies are attracted. Blowflies and houseflies will lay eggs which will hatch within 24 hours. -
2
Putrefaction
4 to 10 days after death
The tissue that is broken down releases fluids into body cavities. various gases are usually produced. pressure is created and inflates the body.
Young maggots move through the body digesting it. The increase of smells attracts more and more insects and predators. -
3
Black Putrefaction
10 to 20 days after death
The bloated body eventually collapses, leaving a flattened body whose flesh has a creamy consistency. The deposed parts are blacking color and there is a really strong smell.
Several generations of maggots are present on the body and some are even fully grown. -
4
Butyric Fermentation
20 to 50 days after death
All remaining flesh is removed and the body dries out. It produces a cheesy smell and the smell attracts a new suite of corpse organisms. The surface of the body that is in contact with the ground becomes covered with mold as the body ferments.
The reduction in soft food makes the body less palatable to the maggots. Beetles feed on the skin and ligaments. -
5
Dry Decay
50 to 365 days after death
The body is now dry and decays slowly. All the hair disappears and only bones remain.
Tineid moths and micro-organisms feed on hair.
