The discovery of a padlocked corpse in northern Poland this month points to the fact that many people back then thought vampires were more than just fancy dress options for Halloween. The skeleton of the child, discovered in a graveyard in the village of Pien, dates to the 17th century, and she was buried with a padlock across her neck and a sickle on her left big toe. Legends and burial customs of the time reveal that people believed these measures would prevent them from rising from the grave.
Archaeologists at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun made the find this August while working to clear away vegetation from an old graveyard near Pien, TMX reports. When he hit something metal, a researcher was prodding the soil with a trowel. He probed the spot further and uncovered the bones of a girl who had been buried in a head-down position with a sickle on her foot and a padlock across her neck.
During the 17th century, such “anti-vampire” practices were standard in Europe. Superstitious locals attributed misfortune to supernatural acts by the dead and feared that these spirits might rise from their graves and cause more trouble. The padlock was intended to tether the body, and the sickle was meant to decapitate any undead that tried to rise from the ground.
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In the case of Zosia, whose remains were first unearthed in 2022, her padlock was attached to a chain that was pinned around her neck with a heavy metal sickle. It was a sign of her high social status, and the researchers believe she was likely a widow or the daughter of a wealthy noble family.
Scientists have since analyzed her skeleton to learn more about her background. They found that she had a lot of iron in her blood and that her teeth were huge for a girl her age. DNA tests also show that the skeleton belonged to someone who had the genetic condition called Klinefelter syndrome, which causes female-like genitalia but XXY chromosomes.
Although little is known about Zosia’s life, her skeleton appears well cared for, and she likely had a healthy diet. She was also buried with an expensive silk headdress, which suggests she was a rich woman. In a Facebook post, the research team says they’re continuing to work on her body and will study the items she was buried with to understand how she came to be there. They plan to publish their findings next year.