The Living Appearance of the 'Vampire Remains' with a Sickle Stuck in the Neck... 18-Year-Old Woman with Blue Eyes

'Vampire Remains' Found in Polish Cemetery 2 Years Ago
Sickle Around Neck and Toe Locks... Fear of Resurrection
Researchers Reconstruct Face with Experts

A reconstructed portrait estimating the appearance of the 'vampire skeleton' discovered in a Polish cemetery in 2022 has been revealed. On the 28th (local time), the British Daily Mail reported, "Professor Dariusz Polinski of Nicolaus Copernicus University and his research partner Magda Zagrozka discovered the skeleton two summers ago in a field on the outskirts of the small village of Pien, south of Torun, Poland."

Excavated skeletal remains of Josiah and a restored facial reconstruction. [Image source=Daily Mail X (formerly Twitter) capture]

At the final stages of the excavation, Professor Polinski's shovel reportedly struck metal. Carefully brushing away the soil covering the skeleton, they uncovered the remains. The woman, believed to have been buried in the 17th century, wore a silk hat, had a sickle placed above her neck, and a padlock was fastened to her big toe. Named 'Josia' by the research team, she was analyzed to have died at the age of 18 in the mid-17th century, about 350 years ago.

The reconstructed portrait of Josia's face, created through collaboration between the research team and facial reconstruction expert Oskar Nilsson, depicts her with blonde hair neatly tied back, blue eyes, and wearing a silk hat.

The researchers inferred that Josia held a high social status in life, as indicated by the silk hat on her head. The sickle placed just above her neck was presumed to be intended to sever her neck immediately if she tried to rise from the dead. The padlock on her toe originated from folk beliefs and was a burial practice applied to individuals thought to be at risk of becoming vampires.

Professor Polinski stated, "Those who buried Josia likely feared she would rise from the grave. They probably feared she was a vampire." He added, "Because the sickle was placed not flat but resting on her neck, if the deceased tried to get up, there was a high chance her head would be cut or injured."

The research team revealed that Josia had protruding front teeth, and bone scans showed abnormalities in her sternum. Dr. Heather Edgar, a medical researcher at the University of New Mexico, said, "This would have caused pain," and "It might have been a physical deformity that others perceived negatively." Additionally, since Josia died during the Swedish-Polish war, it is possible she was considered an 'unwanted outsider' from Sweden.