Protecting the Dead: The History of Grave Cages

The Funeral Channel Podcast · Oct 25, 2026 · 21m

The Funeral Channel Network, presented by The Funeral Program Site, explores the fascinating and disturbing history of iron cages over graves in this episode, Protecting the Dead: The History of Grave Cages. During the 18th and 19th centuries, grieving families faced a terrifying possibility: their loved ones' bodies could be stolen shortly after burial. Grave robbers, also known as body snatchers or Resurrection Men, targeted freshly buried bodies and sold them to medical schools for anatomical research. To prevent these thefts, communities began placing iron cages over graves, using heavy…