Zombies, vampires, and revenants are known to rise up from the graves of dead people and wander the earth, terrorizing and killing the living- or even eating them. These tales have been around so long and in so many places that cultures have developed quite a few methods for keeping the dead underground. We know this because ancient graves are excavated for archaeological purposes, and the evidence is there. Before being buried, bodies have undergone such indignities as tooth removal, stakes through the heart, chains holding them down, or even decapitation.
While the idea of keeping the bodies from digging their way out is the most common reason for these measures, it's not the only possibility. Interpreting ancient burial practices is a guessing game, and some cultures may have used these things for religious reasons, or to signify something about the person or the way they died. Some barrier methods may also have been used to keep the living from robbing those graves. Read about eight historical methods for keeping buried bodies buried that we've discovered, and what we know about each, at Mental Floss.
(Image credit: Bin im Garten)