Death

One was called "the legacy of bitterness."

They're the funeral industry's unsung heroes, showcasing how hard gravedigging can be.

Boston Public Library, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0

In 1816, a woman died and was quickly buried in Alexandria, Virginia. Two hundred years later, the "Female Stranger" remains an enigma.

From dust to dinnerware.

The Brown family was involved in New England’s vampire panic.

Some families were so desperate to save their loved ones from a mysterious illness, they were willing to try anything, even exhuming them.

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

In the 1880s, nobody was excluded from elaborate mourning rituals.

Fears of premature burial were rampant in the 19th century. A coffin designed by a count tried to come to the rescue.

Whether you’re interested in rock ‘n’ roll, history, art, or medicine, the nameless or the famous, here's where to go.

Scott's party at the South Pole. Henry Bowers via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Keep an eye out for his skeleton in the sea in about 250 years.

He's not underneath the Alabama gravestone that reads "Damn the State Dept."

The serving size might seem skimpy, but it's a necessary precaution.

The pops and crackles on these records are the entire point.

No, they don’t work in the middle of the night under a bare, swinging light bulb.

Researchers say the bodies of infants and fetuses were a ‘prized source of knowledge’ for British anatomists.

Dutch National Archives via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0 NL

William Lyon Mackenzie King may have gotten some of his best advice from dead people, his dogs, and …. shaving cream.

Studying the expression of certain genes may someday help in forensic investigations and organ transplants.

Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Getty Images

Though the terms are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between the two. And it's all in the shape of things.

These famous folks managed to convey a great deal of meaning through just one word.

“The big question we had was, ‘Who were these people?’ We didn't really have any idea where they came from."

Washington Irving Bishop entertains a crowd.

Washington Irving Bishop was an American mentalist and mind reader of some repute toward the end of the 1800s. But he probably didn't see this story coming.

At the end of the 1800s, one St. Louis company marketed their signature pain-relieving product with a series of macabre calendars.

These findings potentially throw a big wrench in the field of forensic science, which often uses pig and other non-human corpses to study human decomposition.

But we don’t know for sure, because we don’t actually keep track.

A view of Green-Wood Cemetery circa 1870s, Green-Wood Instagram

You don't see "indiscreet use of laudanum" on death certificates much anymore.

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Scientists Say ‘Undead’ Genes Switch On After Death

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Ancient DNA Sequenced from "Sky Cave" Burials in Nepal

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