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Grave Robbing: Difference between revisions
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{{quote|'''[[Sidekick|Elika]]:''' ''You rob the dead!''<br />
'''The Prince:''''' [[
A grave robber (or [[Tomb Raider]]) digs up a grave or breaks into a crypt or mausoleum to steal the corpse inside, whether it be [[For Science!|for medical research]], profit by selling the body to medical researchers (which used to be done by shady professions called Bodysnatchers or Resurrectionists), [[Mad Scientist|resurrection of]] [[Creating Life|the dead]], or... [[Necromantic|whatever reason]]. This also includes stealing treasure, valuables, and [[Artifact of Doom|Artifacts Of Doom]] that happen to be buried with the corpse, not just the corpse itself, especially if the tomb belonged to royalty. In some situations this can also include vandalism of the corpse if the robber is trying to make a statement or just feels [[For the Evulz|especially spiteful]].
This practice is generally frowned upon, and modern archaeologists have been avoiding burial sites for some time now. Not only is [[Due to The Dead|desecrating the body]] after death considered extremely offensive in the overwhelming majority of cultures, it's also [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|kind of]] [[Squick|gross]]. Either way, [[Captain Obvious|stealing a body from the grave and any items buried with it still counts as theft and is therefore illegal]].
This is often part of [[The Igor]]'s job description. This is the primary way of encountering a [[Mummy]].
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If they happened to have fought [[Aliens and Monsters]] before taking the crypt's stuff, it probably counts as [[Plunder]].
{{examples
== Anime and Manga ==
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== Films -- Live-Action ==
* The 1945 film ''The Body Snatcher'', directed by Robert Wise, starring Bela Lugosi and [[Boris Karloff]]. This was based on a [[Robert Louis Stevenson (Creator)|Robert Louis Stevenson]] short story of the same that was [[Very Loosely Based
** Actually that's a common misconception. Burke and Hare never robbed graves but went straight to creating their own bodies. The doctor who bought them was always impressed at how fresh they were.
* ''[[Plan Nine From Outer Space]]''
* ''[[Repo the Genetic Opera]]'' has a singing, dancing [[Mr. Exposition]] in the Graverobber (played by the fantastic Terrence Zdunich). He slinks around stealing Zydrate from dead bodies and telling us how this [[Crapsack World]] came to be. And does it really, really [[Ear Worm|earwormily]], as shown in the page quote.
* Speaking of [[Indiana Jones (Franchise)|Indiana Jones]] , an instance of him being accused of being a grave robber was recounted at the banquet in ''[[Temple of Doom (Film)|Temple of Doom]]''.
* In one of the ''[[Friday the
* As can be expected from the title, [[Young Frankenstein]] has an example of this.
* The ''[[Phantasm (Film)|Phantasm]]'' films feature large-scale graverobbing by the Tall Man, who animates and shrinks the dead to provide slave labor on another planet (or another dimension, other time, etc).
* The main characters In ''[[Plunkett and Macleane]]'' meet when James Macleane attempts to take a ruby from a buried thief in the cemetary. However, Will Plunkett was already waiting and takes it for himself at gunpoint.
* [[Mr. Sardonicus (Film)|Mr. Sardonicus]] gained his trademark [[Frozen Face]] when he dug up his father's grave for the [[Lottery Ticket]] that was left in his pocket and the sight of his father's smiling corpse frightened him to no end.
* Most versions of ''[[
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* Egyptian Burial Tombs in ''[[Civilization]] V'' increase the amount of money plundered if the city is captured, presumably because of grave robbing.
* ''[[Demons Souls (Video Game)|Demons Souls]]'' features [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|Graverobber]] Blige, who takes what he can from the dead to sell to passing Demon slayers. In fact, almost every merchant but the Once Royal Mistress gets their ways by taking advantage of the demon invasion this way.
* ''[[Planescape Torment]]'' has an entire guild of people known as the Collectors whose job is to find dead bodies and turn them in to the Dustmen, a local sect that uses the corpses as zombie laborers. Of course, the Collectors almost always strip the bodies of everything valuable first. One of your party members, [[Half
* ''[[Minecraft]]'' lets you rob treasure from pyramids in the desert. Each pyramid can contain things like gold, iron, diamonds, bones, and rotten flesh, but they're also guarded by TNT traps that trigger if you step on the pressure plate. Doing so will destroy all the treasure and kill you.
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*** Or so we assume. Recent studies with modern technology indicate that many pyramids still have hidden chambers that are nigh impossible to get to without drilling through a good part of the structure.
** Speaking of body desecration, [[Fridge Logic|currently there is a number of mummified corpses on display in the central museum of Cairo (and maybe other ones too) for all those tourist drones to gawk on and serve as an attraction (along with the tombs themselves)]].
* Leonardo Da Vinci often resorted to this [[For Science!|to advance his research]], as did Michelangelo for his art.
* In the aftermath of the [[American Civil War]], there was an unsuccessful plot to steal Lincoln's corpse and hold it for ransom.
* An Ohio congressman, John Scott Harrison, was the victim of grave robbers in 1878.
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