Fascinating find in Poland:
Archaeologists have unearthed the skeleton of a woman believed to be a vampire.
Around the skeleton’s neck was an iron sickle – on the woman’s big toe was a triangular padlock.
The body was found in a 17th-century cemetery.
Researchers from the Archaeological Institute of Nicolaus Copernicus University discovered the remains in the Polish village of Pién.
The cemetery was originally excavated between 2005 and 2009.
But an investigation conducted in the summer of 2022 reveals that more unexplored tombs exist.
During the renewed excavation, the scientists come across the tomb of the “vampire woman”.
The researchers suspect that the sickle and the lock were intended to ensure that the deceased woman remained in her grave.
In addition, they find that the woman’s head was resting on a pillow and that she was probably wearing a silk hat.
Both features indicate that the woman came from a wealthy family.
How the woman died is unclear. She may have been murdered or died of an illness.
Lead researcher Professor Dariusz Polinski does not believe that she was sentenced to death in a witch trial, as these people were often thrown into makeshift graves near the gallows.
“It is possible that the woman experienced tragedy during her lifetime and was harmed. On the other hand, her appearance or behavior could have made contemporary residents afraid of her, but this can only be proven by further research on the skeleton,” explains Poliński
Legends of vampires have existed for thousands of years and can be found in different cultures from practically every part of the world.
In the 17th century, many people believed in vampires.
Therefore, one guess by the researchers is that the community at the time believed that the woman was a vampire and was seeking revenge for her untimely death as a human.
The sickle and the lock were apparently intended to prevent this revenge.
Many questions are still unanswered, but further investigations should bring clarity to the mysterious grave in Pién.