DEATH

A group of 18th-century anatomists dissect a body.

Hidden Bodies: How a Harvard Chapel Renovation Unearthed Human Remains

What began as a routine renovation revealed Harvard's history of body snatching.

New Study Reveals the Source of the Corpse Flower’s Horrible Stench

Research (and lots of dry-heaving) has revealed why the flower reeks of weeks-old road kill.

DNA Identifies Medieval Man Thrown Down a Well, Confirming a Norse Saga’s Tale

According to a medieval saga, the Norwegian “Well Man” might have been used as a biological weapon.

Get a better sense of how illnesses have shaped history in these gripping reads.

12 Fascinating Books on History’s Most Notorious Diseases

Get a better sense of how illnesses have shaped history with these gripping reads about history’s most notorious diseases.

A hearse with S-shaped bars in place of back windows.

Why Do Hearses Have Metal S-Shaped Scrolls Where the Back Windows Should Be?

Those evocative scrolls you see on hearses actually have a name—and going back in the 1800s, they actually served an important purpose.

A black-throated green warbler perches on a funerary statue at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.

From Snakeroot to Salamanders, Life Thrives in Cemeteries

Three historic cemeteries, designed as refuges of the dead, are bringing their landscapes back to life for native plants and animals.

Tollund Man—a bog body at the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark

8 Kinds of Mummies That Aren’t From Ancient Egypt

China, Chile, and New Zealand are a few places that have historic mummies of their own.

Elizabeth Taylor, Bela Lugosi, and Bob Marley were buried with some of their most treasured possessions.

The Objects 10 Celebrities Took to the Grave

Favorite alcoholic beverages, signature accessories, and reading material are a few of the items that these artists took with them to the afterlife.

Can You Guess the Famous Person Who Was Afraid of Being Buried Alive?

Fear of taking a dirt nap before one’s time was once a common phobia.

These true stories inspired some spooky legends.

11 Terrifying Urban Legends That Turned Out to Be True

Sorry to tell you, but killers really have crawled out of medicine cabinets to attack their victims.

5 Weird American Cemetery Legends

These strange, spooky cemetery tales of vampires, ghosts, and bloody headstones will keep you up at night.

Nancy Barnett’s family would not allow a road to disturb her final resting place.

The Reason There’s a Gravesite in the Middle of an Indiana Road

This isn't something you want to pass late at night.

6 Infamous Poisoners with Unforgettable Nicknames

Thanks to his outrageous crimes, Graham Young will always be known as the Teacup Poisoner. Here are five others with unforgettable monikers.

Friends consult a Ouija board during a séance.

8 Notorious Séances Involving Celebrities

Harry Houdini and Princess Diana are just a few of the spirits that mediums have tried to contact over the years.

When France’s Père Lachaise Cemetery Used Celebrity Remains to Boost Business

The cemetery failed to interest the public until it started seeking out famous corpses.

10 Spine-Tingling Spirits From Around the World

From the ‘manananggal’ (Philippines) to the ‘csodacsirke’ (Hungary), you’ll want to make sure you steer clear of these terrifying supernatural beings.

The Neptune Memorial Reef off Florida’s coast.

Explore the World’s First Underwater Cemetery

Neptune Memorial Reef is a piece of art, a cemetery, and a haven for wildlife.

The knight’s tombstone rediscovered at Jamestown.

Jamestown’s Mysterious Black Tombstone Originated in Belgium, Archaeologists Say

Scientists examined microscopic fossils in the tombstone and suggest the jet-black slab with an English knight’s insignia could have come only from one place.

A ‘witch’ grave makes a cemetery even spookier.

The Stories Behind 8 ‘Witch’ Graves

When these supposed spell-casters died, the stories about them lived on.

Old age may precede dying, but it doesn’t directly cause it.

Do People Really Die of ‘Old Age’?

Can an octogenarian really just collapse from the wear and tear of life?

Peter’s poor wife did not have a good time.

The History—and Surprisingly Dark Theories—Behind ‘Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater’

‘Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater’ may not be the most kid-friendly nursery rhyme, as several interpretations of it involve murder.

14 Old Slang Terms for Coffins

From ‘six-foot bungalow’ to ‘pine overcoat,’ there have been some creative euphemisms for coffins over the ages—and some terms that were surprisingly (and uncomfortably) direct.

Can You Match the Last Words to the Person Who Said Them?

See if these famous last words really are as famous as people think.

6 Politicians Who Got Elected Despite Being Dead

Several politicians have won elections posthumously. And no, fraud was not to blame.