What is "excarnation"

Excarnation \Ex`car*na"tion\, n. The act of depriving or divesting of flesh; excarnification; -- opposed to incarnation.

n. 1 The act of removing flesh. 2 The burial practice of removing (or causing to be removed) the flesh and organs of the dead, leaving only the bones.

In archaeology and anthropology, the term excarnation (also known as defleshing) refers to the practice of removing the flesh and organs of the dead before burial, leaving only the bones.

Excarnation may be precipitated through natural means, involving leaving a body exposed for animals to scavenge, or it may be purposefully undertaken by butchering the corpse by hand.