If you've ever encountered a grave with an iron cage around it, you may wonder what the purpose of the cage is for.
Although these cages may look like they were created to keep zombies and vampires from rising up from their coffins—my guess when I first saw one—there is a more mundane reason for the existence of mortsafes.
Before modern medicine, it was difficult for surgeons and scientists to dissect cadavers for educational purposes. Due to this, bodies were often dug up from the grave so surgeons could practice on them. Mortsafes were put in place to stop this from happening.
"Many people could not afford to purchase a mortsafe to guard their remains or those of their beloved ones. But the devices could be rented. Realistically, once a deceased body reached a certain level of decomposition, anatomy professors were no longer interested in the cadaver and the dead could safely rest in peace instead of resting in pieces at a medical school. Then the mortsafe could be removed and re-rented."
See also: Real estate listing glosses over cemetery in the backyard
