Buried Alive: Preventing Grave Errors

Fear of being buried alive has haunted humanity for much of history. The possibility that we could be interred prematurely and slowly wither away, fully conscious and underground, has been the cause for many horror stories and nightmares. Although medicine would eventually provide the critical knowledge to determine if someone had actually died, innovative and creative burial solutions were designed during the nineteenth-century to prevent this grave misfortune. In this virtual talk, archivist and death scholar Kelly Christian explores safety coffins, underground morse code contraptions, and other inventive solutions to prevent you from waking up six feet under.