Archaeologists study 17th-century ‘vampire’ burial in Poland

New archaeological research into a 17th-century burial in Pień, Poland, has provided insights into anti-demonic funerary practices. The remains, nicknamed ‘Zosia’ by researchers, belong to a young woman estimated to be between 17 and 19 years old.

Discovered in 2022 by a team from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, the grave featured extreme protective measures: a sickle was placed around her neck with the blade pointing toward her throat, and a triangular padlock was attached to her left big toe. These measures suggest the local community feared she might rise from the grave to cause misfortune, such as disease or famine.

Despite the unusual burial, analysis indicates the woman was not an outcast. Evidence from silk bands containing silver and gilded silver suggests she belonged to a wealthy or aristocratic family. Radiocarbon dating places the burial between 1620 and 1674, during the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth era.