Archaeologists unearth secrets of Polands 'Vampire' burials

This year, just metres away, the same team discovered the remains of a child, five to seven-years-old, buried face-down and, again, with a padlock on the foot. The two were, the archaeologists say, buried as 'vampires.'

Associate Professor Dariusz Polinski, the lead archaeologist on the dig in the small village of Pien, says that while the term 'vampire' is a modern one, medieval Central Europeans widely believed that the dead could return as creatures known as 'upior' or 'striga.' Victims of disease, unbaptised children and those who died under tragic circumstances were especially feared, Polinski says.

The woman, Polinski explains, was likely sick and may have suffered symptoms that caused her community to fear she could come back from the dead. As for the child, Polinski's team thinks they must have been a source of greater fear, as archaeologists found the body had been exhumed after burial and the torso and head removed.

The bodies are just two of dozens of graves Polinski's team found at the site, about one third of which contain 'unusual' practices such as burying the dead with iron objects - believed to magically keep the dead dead - and stones, which were often placed on the arms or neck.

Despite being in use for hundreds of years, Polinski says the cemetery was quickly forgotten in the 18th century, left unmarked on maps with no markers or headstones.

The size of the cemetery remains unknown. The team is planning further studies at the site using non-invasive ground-penetrating radar.

Reuters