Produced by: Manoj Kumar
The remains of a 350-year-old “vampire” named Zosia were unearthed in Poland, buried with a sickle across her throat to ensure she stayed dead.
Credit : Miroslaw Blicharski/Aleksander Poznan
Researchers believe villagers were terrified Zosia would rise from her grave, so they placed a padlock on her toe for extra protection.
Credit : Miroslaw Blicharski/Aleksander Poznan
The cemetery, nicknamed the “Field of Vampires,” had at least 30 other restrained skeletons buried with similar precautions.
Credit : Miroslaw Blicharski/Aleksander Poznan
Expert Oscar Nilsson used 3D printing to recreate Zosia’s face, revealing fair skin, blue eyes, and a protruding incisor.
Dr. Heather Edgar, a medical investigator at the University of New Mexico, analyzed the bones and found an abnormality in Zosia’s breastbone, possibly marking her as a feared outcast.
The graves had people buried face down, weighed with stones, or with coins in their mouths as anti-vampire measures.
Smithsonian notes that fears of vampires led to extreme burial practices across Eastern Europe to prevent the dead from rising.
Credit : Miroslaw Blicharski/Aleksander Poznan
With Swedish-Polish wars raging at the time, researchers believe Zosia, a possible outsider, was buried with extreme measures out of fear.
Credit : Miroslaw Blicharski/Aleksander Poznan
Professor Polinski and his team continue to investigate the site, planning night-time excavations to uncover more eerie findings.
Credit : Miroslaw Blicharski/Aleksander Poznan