Portrait of a 17th-century vampire sealed with a sickle

A research team from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland found the remains of a woman nicknamed “Zosia” in an anonymous cemetery. Notably, the young woman’s remains had an iron sickle across her neck. Zosia’s left big toe is secured with a large padlock, a practice rooted in the notion that dangerous individuals possess both good and evil sides. This measure is to prevent bad spirits from escaping and turning the dead into vampires. Zosia died at the age of 18 – 20 due to a disease that caused fainting and many other health problems. She was one of dozens of people believed to be vampires by neighboring people.

At the cemetery in Pien, near Bydgoszcz, an archaeological team from Torun University excavated grave number 75 containing Zosia’s remains. Other graves here also bury “vampires” in the same way, proving that local people are very afraid of the dead. The lock on Zosia’s toe suggests that her tomb may have been disturbed after her first burial due to some supernatural event. The sickle placed on the dead woman’s neck may have been added later to prevent her from returning. After collecting Zosia’s remains, archaeologists began a project to restore her portrait.

Analysis of Zosia’s remains revealed signs of illness including malnutrition or injury. The team found evidence of cancer in her sternum, which was likely causing pain although not the direct cause of death. This condition may appear as a swollen red mark on the chest.

In addition, Zosia’s remains also showed signs of Ponticulus posticus disease, which causes severe headaches, fainting, and even stroke. Her health problems may cause the population to view her as a potential vampire. The presence of a glittering brocade ribbon near Zosia’s head indicates her high social class.

DNA and isotope analysis revealed that Zosia originated from Sweden. During this period, Poland became embroiled in the Thirty Years’ War with Sweden, making the Swedes unwelcome. Zosia’s appearance, combined with her wealthy family and Swedish background, may have made her different and unpopular in her community.

The research team at the University of Torun invited Swedish archaeologist Oscar Nisson to reconstruct her face. After understanding the structure of the skull, Nisson created a 3D printed simulation of the skull before layering each layer of modeling clay according to the muscle bundles. Nilsson aimed to portray Zosia “as a human being, not the monster she was buried as”.