Archaeologists in Chełm, Poland, have uncovered a medieval child’s grave displaying signs of anti-vampire practices in the garden of a bishop’s palace near the Basilica of the Birth of the Virgin Mary.
“This is an absolutely incredible find,” said Dr. Stanisław Gołub, who led the excavation.
The child was found decapitated, with the skull placed face down and heavy stones laid upon the body—measures believed to prevent the dead from rising. Dr. Gołub noted “the burial shows signs of anti-vampire practices.”
Dating back to the 13th century, the remains were discovered alongside another child in an area not previously identified as a cemetery. Such burial methods were common in medieval Poland due to superstitions about the undead. According to the Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments, these measures were intended “to prevent a person thought to be a demonic entity from exiting the grave.”
Further anthropological analysis is planned to learn more about the children and the burial practices.
Photo credit: Alina Zienowicz Ala z, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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