Archaeologists Uncover 350-Year-Old ‘Vampire’ Woman Buried with Sickle at Neck

Archaeologists have uncovered the haunting burial of a high-status woman, believed to be a “vampire,” who was buried around 350 years ago in Pień, Poland. The grave, found two years ago in a medieval cemetery, revealed eerie details about the precautions taken to prevent her supposed rise from the dead.

The woman, nicknamed “Zosia” by researchers, is believed to have been 18 years old at the time of her death. In artistic reconstructions, she is depicted with fair skin, short hair, blue eyes, and a single prominent tooth. A silk cap found with her remains indicates she was from a well-off family. However, accusations of evil led to her being buried with a sickle placed across her neck and a padlock on her toe, measures meant to stop her from “returning.”

Professor Dariusz Polinski, who conducted research on Zosia with colleague Magda Zagrodzka, explained, “It appears those burying her feared she might come back to life, possibly as a vampire.” Historically, the sickle would have served as a form of protection: if Zosia attempted to rise, the blade would decapitate or injure her.

A digital facial reconstruction of Zosia was made using a 3D scan of her skull, allowing experts to recreate her features. Dr. Heather Edgar from the University of New Mexico examined her bone scans, noting a malformation in her sternum that likely caused her pain during life. This physical difference may have contributed to her being seen as “other.”

The site, now referred to as the “Field of Vampires,” has revealed similar measures in 30 out of 100 graves, with precautions like stones weighing down bodies, heads turned downward, and coins placed in mouths. Polinski said these practices were intended to prevent the dead from returning and suggested the cemetery was designated for individuals marginalized by society. All graves were left unmarked, and no records of those buried there remain.

The 17th-century fear of the dead rising was widespread across Poland, where unusual burial practices became more common during a perceived vampire outbreak, according to a report in *Science Alert*.