Archaeologists Publish First Systematic Study of 17th-Century Polish Vampire Burial
Archaeologists in Poland have published the first systematic research on Zosia, a young woman between 17 and 19 years old unearthed in 2022 near Pień with a rusted sickle blade over her throat and a padlock fastened to her foot. Published on July 30 in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, the study utilizes ancient DNA and isotope analysis to uncover details about the woman’s life, death, and the intense community fear that prompted anti-demonic burial precautions four centuries ago.
Did you know? Zosia’s grave made international headlines following her 2022 unearthing, and a 2024 documentary titled Field of Vampires later followed researchers as they reconstructed her facial appearance.
Unusual Anti-Vampire Precaution Methods in 17th-Century Poland
According to lead study author Dariusz Poliński, a professor at the Institute of Archaeology at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, the presence of both a padlock and a sickle indicated heightened anxiety among locals. “It was unusual that there were two precautions, two methods of showing that this skeleton should be kept in the grave — so the fear of the body coming back to life was greater,” Poliński stated. Excavations at the rural Pień site, which began in 2005, have revealed 101 graves used over four generations in the 17th century.
John Blair, a University of Oxford professor emeritus of medieval history and archaeology who was not involved in the study, noted that corpse-killing measures are widely attested globally, though sickles placed over throats appear particularly distinctive of early modern Poland. “They were undoubtedly perceived as potentially dangerous corpses, that might harm the living if not disabled in this way,” Blair said, referencing females buried with such tools.
Deviant Burials and Society’s Outcasts
The Pień cemetery contained dozens of atypical graves featuring deviant body arrangements, such as a child buried face-down, a crucifix-positioned skeleton, and stones placed around skulls to prevent movement. Situated on a slope near a crossroads away from any church, researchers suggest the field functioned as a burial place for individuals rejected by society, including suicides, heretics, and vagrants. A triangular padlock was initially fastened to Zosia’s big toe, while the sickle with a birch, alder, or maple handle was positioned across her neck before complete decomposition, as no skeletal joints were displaced.
DNA and Isotope Analysis of Zosia’s Origins
To determine Zosia’s background, researchers examined her DNA and chemical isotope signatures in dental tissue. Isotope analysis of oxygen and strontium indicated she consumed local food and water during childhood. Meanwhile, mitochondrial DNA suggested maternal ancestry linked to Scandinavian populations, though geneticist Shai Carmi of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem noted that the short mitochondrial sequence appears widely across Europe and offers limited ancestry detail. Despite lacking answers on her exact cause of death, researchers confirmed she came from a wealthy family, citing traces of silk fabric near her skull featuring threads made of pure gold and silver.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is Zosia? Zosia is a young woman between 17 and 19 years old whose 400-year-old skeleton was excavated from an unmarked burial site in Pień, Poland, in 2022.
- Why was she buried with a sickle and padlock? 17th-century community members buried her with these anti-demonic precautions out of fear that she would rise from the dead to harm the living.
- What did the new study discover? Published on July 30 in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, the study utilized ancient DNA and isotope analysis to explore her local childhood, high-status burial garments, and the unique combination of precautionary burial rites.
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