A group of archaeologists discovered the remains of three people, over whose bodies a number of special ritual rituals were performed so that they could not later rise from the dead.
The fear of vampires was not created by Hollywood horror films. And not only in the 21st century, children fancy ghouls at night. In fact, people were afraid of these creatures a thousand years ago. This is evidenced by the remains of three people recently discovered in Poland. Their bodies were mutilated before burial to prevent them from leaving the grave.
According to information published in a number of specialized sources, including the International Business Times, these remains were found in the village of Guzyca in western Poland (near the border with Germany). According to archaeologists, these burials date back to the XIII-XIV centuries.
More precisely, the remains were found in three graves near the Gothic cathedral that once stood here. The graves are not interconnected and are randomly located in the Guzica cemetery, while other graves are oriented strictly from east to west, and the skeletons found in them are buried with their arms crossed on their chests.
Buried as vampires
Archaeologists discovered, among other signs of torture, that the practice of cutting off the head was practiced, deep holes were made in the spine and sacrum, and the heads were clamped between stones. Such measures were taken to prevent the possible exit of the dead from the grave in order to hunt living people.
According to archaeologist Lesley Gregoricka of the University of South Alabama, at least one of the buried bodies belonged to a woman who suffered from kyphosis, a curvature of the upper spine with a hump during her lifetime.
Promotional video:
Perhaps this physical handicap made other people think that the future victim was a vampire. The woman's body was laid face down in the grave, and her knees were broken, a traditional ritual of burying the alleged werewolves.
The man, whose remains were found in the same place, could also be suffering from kyphosis. At least, this is the opinion of Leslie Gregorichki's colleague, Krzysztof Socha, an employee of the Polish Museum of the Küstrinsky Fortress. Finally, the body of the third deceased was buried with his head sandwiched between two stones. This ritual was also performed for vampires.
Other rituals
These were not the only rituals performed to prevent vampires from leaving their graves. In recent years, the remains of a number of alleged vampires have been unearthed, whose skeletons were attached to coffins with metal staples to prevent them from escaping if revived.
According to archaeologist Leslie Gregorichka, many so-called vampires buried in the Middle Ages died of cholera. “It was believed that the first person to die from an outbreak had a better chance of returning from the dead as a vampire,” she writes in the newspaper.
