Archaeology & History

Scientists bring 'vampire' back from the dead... in a manner of speaking

By T.K. Randall
November 2, 2024 ·  3 comments

A face from the past. Image Credit: Oscar Nilsson / Project Pien Four centuries ago, the people of Pien, northern Poland were so terrified that the body of a woman would rise again from her grave that they went to great lengths to ensure that when they buried her in the ground, she was definitely going to stay there.

When her remains were unearthed by scientists from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland back in 2022, they discovered that she had been entombed with a shackle around her foot and an iron sickle placed across her neck.

An examination of her remains later indicated that she would have been only around 20 years old when she died and that she had suffered from a condition that brought about various symptoms - including mental health problems - which may have contributed to the belief that she was a vampire.

Now, though, thanks to modern forensic techniques, scientists have been able to bring her back from the dead, as it were, by revealing her face to the world once more 400 years after her death."It's really ironic, in a way," said archaeologist Oscar Nilsson.

"These people burying her, they did everything they could in order to prevent her from coming back from the dead. We have done everything we can in order to bring her back to life."

Named 'Zosia' by locals, the woman likely endured quite a difficult life despite being brought up in a relatively wealthy family.

"It's emotional to watch a face coming back from the dead, especially when you know the story about this young girl," said Nilsson.


Source: Sky News | Comments (3)

Tags: Vampire