Perhaps a bit TMI.
Many celebrities are buried in Hollywood mausoleums. Often in a drawer along a long wall.
https://goo.gl/images/m3HHht
That does raise the question of decomposition and odors. A grave buried under six feet of dirt doesn’t have the same concerns.
How is this handled in densely packed mausoleums?
I am awed at the efficiency of interring so many people in a small space. I’ve never been in a large mausoleum like they use in Hollywood.
Cremation is the obvious non-olfacient choice. Otherwise, I believe the ancient Egyptians were the first to employ desiccation for this purpose.
I hadn’t thought of odors as being a problem - figured everyone in one was cremated I guess. So I went looking for an answer, which I haven’t found yet, and came across this interesting bit of info:
Would they use a big crypt drawer for a tiny urn of ashes?
I assumed the crypt held caskets.
Grave Wax (Adipocere) can form in the ground. I’m not sure about a crypt.
Casket explosions, gives a whole new meaning to clean up on aisle three.
Air fresheners seems to be one choice
Ventilation seems to be another answer
Not sure how great/reliable those two links are - I’m having trouble finding much that doesn’t go into sensational stuff.
Thank you Fluffy PickleSniffer.
Great username for this thread. 
Your link confirms my suspicion. Visiting an indoor mausoleum might not be a good idea after a meal.
This answers your question exactly…including the hollywood angle.
A lot of information there. Thank you.
I’ll stick with a hole in the ground.
Decomposing in a lined cubicle with drains doesn’t seem very appealing.
She’s also a terrific writer; she’s like Mary Roach in that she specializes in writing, in a very simple and entertaining way, about things most people would rather not think about.
“They’re decomposing composers, ♫
There’s less of them every day,
You can still hear Beethoven, ♪
But there’s not much of him left to play…”
I would imagine too that pickling a body in formaldehyde when it’s embalmed must significantly slow the decomposition process?
Sort of like the explanatory note in the mummified animals section of the Cairo Museum - “this small crocodile was lovingly preserved by means of a turpentine enema.”
That was such an interesting rabbit hole that I was lost for 2 days! 
This has been quite informative, but I think there are still questions - where are the gases vented to? Surely if they just vent through the outer wall of the building (even at roof level), there must be a risk that people walking by outside will experience them. Where do the fluids drain to? Into the soil? A public sewer? A specially-constructed cistern? What happens when it’s full?
Archaeologists have some horrible stories to tell under the rubric of runny coffins… It’s so not Indiana Jones.
So, every so often, a church needs some repairs and this necessitates the temporary removal of old lead coffins. The people who get called in to do this are archaeologists so that everything can be properly recorded. And yes there are revolting putrid fluids involved as the old lead coffins are moved and tilted and stuff comes seeping or even running out. it’s a really unhealthy job. I heard of one long term project where the only person who stayed the entire course was the director. He developed a mysterious skin fungus which turned out to be previously unknown to humans or indeed anything living and was normally known as a library hazard on the leather bound books http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/images/smilies/eek.gif
I know in one of her videos, Caitlin (the mortician referenced upthread) commented that when the soil around cemeteries is tested for contaminants, they mostly find the chemicals* used in embalming. When decomposition is allowed to happen naturally, nature does a pretty good job of cleaning up afterwards.
*Known carcinogens, embalmers must use protective garments when handling them in the funeral home.
Curse you! I just fell down that rabbit hole!
Just curious why you think this is particularly associated with Hollywood? It seems to be a common internment practice, at least across Southern California. I’m assuming it is widespread elsewhere as well.
Can’t watch videos at the moment. Whose channel? (I’ll be able to check in half a day, but I’m curious now.)
