“Unearthed Secrets: Decapitated ‘Vampire’ Unearths Chilling Medieval Burial Mystery in Croatia”
Cutting off the head and placing stones to weigh the body down are actions that align with other anti-vampire measures observed in burials from medieval Europe. In Poland, for instance, archaeologists have uncovered numerous vampire burials featuring remains found with sickles over their necks, locks on their toes, or heavy stones atop their bodies.
Nataša Šarkić The “vampire” skull with a pebble in its mouth.
“A characteristic of vampires is their near indestructibility, and thus precautions were taken to prevent the transformation of the recently deceased into vampires,” the study’s authors wrote. “The most common way to do this was to destroy the corpse of those thought to be most at risk of becoming a vampire, specifically by driving a stake through the corpse’s heart. Based on superstition, other methods were also viable, including: burning the corpse; beheading the corpse and then burying the head between the feet or legs, behind the buttocks, or away from the body.”
Researchers also noted that these burials were not limited exclusively to “sinners” or murder victims. Often, those buried in an atypical fashion simply did not fit into society for one reason or another, and that includes those who were disabled or diseased.
This discovery is a macabre illustration of the dark attitudes toward marginalized members of society during the Middle Ages, people whose differences sometimes resulted in them being labeled vampires, making it impossible for them to attain dignity in society even after death.
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