Archaeologists unearth female 'vampire' remains in Poland cemetery – report
At first glance, being an archaeologist seems like an exciting job as you never know what you might find while excavating historic sites. It can range from priceless treasures to dinosaur fossils, or it could even be the remains of a female "vampire" pinned down to prevent her rising from the dead at a cemetery in Poland.
Yup.
In a report by Daily Mail, researchers doing excavation work at a cemetery in the village of Pien in Poland received a shocking, but interesting discovery when they stumbled upon the skeletal remains of a woman believed to be a "vampire."
The researchers discovered that a sickle was pinned to the ground across the woman's neck, and a padlock was also found around her left foot's big toe. These details are believed to be anti-vampire burial methods, with the sickle placed to cut off the woman's neck should she ever rise from the grave.
A silk cap was also found, hinting at her wealthy status, as well as a large, protruding tooth.
According to Dariusz Poliński, a professor and the leader of the excavation team, how the woman was buried was rather uncommon.
"Ways to protect against the return of the dead include cutting off the head or legs, placing the deceased face down to bite into the ground, burning them, and smashing them with a stone," he told Daily Mail.
He explained that the padlocked big toe symbolized "the closing of a stage and the impossibility of returning".
The grave dates back to the 17th century, where fears of vampires and the undead rising from their graves were still plaguing people's thoughts.
This led to people burying the deceased with metal rods or stakes hammered through their skulls to ensure that they remain in their graves.