Mortsafes were contraptions designed to protect graves from disturbance. Resurrectionists had supplied the schools of anatomy in Scotland since the early 18th century. This was due to the necessity for medical students to learn anatomy by attending dissections of human subjects, which was frustrated by the very limited allowance of dead bodies – for example the corpses of executed criminals – granted by the government, which controlled the supply.

Fishermen slaughter a 9.61m Baird's Beaked whale at Wada Port on June 28, 2008 in Minami Boso, Chiba, Japan. Only five ports are allowed whaling under the coastal whaling program which tries to keep whaling tradition that dates back to the seventeenth century. Japan is only allowed to hunt a limited number of whales every year. (Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images)

Dried and shrivelled corpses, some fully clothed and some in coffins, line the wall of a vault of the Pantheon Cemetery on the summit of Cerro del Trozado in Mexico. They were removed from the crypts because of non-payment of cemetery fees. The hot dry air stopped the bodies from rotting. Most of them were placed here between the turn of the century and WW I. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images). Circa 1955

Castel Meur, also known as La Maison du Gouffre or “the house between the rocks”, is a charming cottage wedged between two huge jagged rocks that has been drawing tourists to the otherwise quiet little village of Plougrescant, located in the department of Côtes-d’Armor in the region of Brittany, in France, since the 19th century.

Belarussian villagers perform during a celebration of the “Tsary” rite in the village of Semezhevo, Belarus January 13, 2016. This unique rite originated from the 18th century, and now takes place only in this village marking the New Year, according to the Julian calendar, on January 13. (Photo by Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)

Vast collection of fine art photography about to open at Pier 24 in Manhattan. One of the world's most prestigious annual photography events, The Photography Show is the longest-running and foremost exhibition dedicated to the photographic medium, offering a wide range of museum-quality work, including contemporary, modern, and 19th-century photographs as well as photo-based art, video, and new media. Here: Les Trois Femmes Deux, 2018. (Photo by Mickalene Thomas/Courtesy of Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York)

Pham Thi Thanh drinks a glass of water used as a treatment during a medium ritual at a Hau Dong ceremony at Phu Day temple in Nam Dinh province, Vietnam, May 7, 2017. Dating to the 16th century, Hau Dong centres on a belief in the Mother Goddesses of three realms – forest, water and heaven. It draws from elements of Taoism, Buddhism and other religions. (Photo by Reuters/Kham)

A woman participates in an insect-eating competition at a scenic spot in Lijiang, Yunnan province, China June 25, 2017. Insects have been a part of Yunnan cuisine for centuries, long before their potential as sustainable sources of protein caught the eye of the Western world. Bee larvae, grasshoppers and cicadas are just some items found on menus in the region. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)