Remains of decapitated 'vampire children' from medieval times unearthed in Poland

The 'vampire child' was found next to the 'vampire' woman buried with a padlock and sickle. (FIle)

Archaeologists in Poland have unearthed the chilling remains of two “vampire children,” in what experts are calling a haunting example of medieval Europe’s fear of the undead. The discovery, which included a decapitated skeleton believed to be a precaution against vampiric resurrection, has left researchers and the public stunned.

“The burial clearly shows signs of anti-vampire practices,” Dr. Stanisław Gołub, an archaeologist with the Lublin Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments, said in a statement following the find, New York Post reported.

The grim discovery was made during a routine garden renovation at the historic Palace of the Uniate Bishops in Chelm. Workers stumbled upon the skeletons while removing tree roots, triggering an investigation led by Golub and his team.

According to a translated Facebook post by the institution, the remains, buried in gypsum soil, are believed to date back to the 13th century, a period rife with superstition and fear of the undead.

Archaeologists were particularly struck by the “anti-vampire” rituals evident in the burials. One of the children was found with its head removed and placed beside the body, which was interred face-down with heavy stones laid across the torso—measures commonly believed to prevent the dead from rising from their graves.

"Burying with the face to the ground, cutting off the head, or pressing the body with a stone are among the methods used to prevent a person believed to be a demonic being from leaving the grave,” Dr. Golub explained. The team also noted that the burial site featured postholes, likely used to monitor the graves for any signs of vampiric resurrection.

Archaeologists discover remains of decapitated vampire children, believed to be demonic beings https://t.co/cFBeif0Z2b pic.twitter.com/HkFnmNd7Te New York Post (@nypost) September 17, 2024

The findings shed light on the deep-seated fears of vampirism that gripped medieval Europe, particularly in Eastern regions where folklore about revenants—reanimated corpses—was widespread. Superstitions led communities to take extreme measures, blaming the supernatural for a range of societal woes, from diseases to misunderstood psychological conditions.

These "vampire burials" bore witness to the parallel struggles against unexplainable mass deaths that plagued Christian Europe from the 14th century onward. Researchers speculates that these enigmatic "vampires" were perhaps symbolic manifestations of pandemics or large-scale poisonings that left communities grappling with the incomprehensible.

"These practices were not uncommon at the time, especially in periods of widespread disease or unexplained death," Dr. Golub noted, drawing parallels between these medieval fears and similar occurrences during the 18th century, when victims of tuberculosis were often believed to be vampires.

Last year, the remains of a young "vampire" child who had been interred face down and secured to the earth with a padlock was discovered in Poland. This macabre discovery in the village of Pień sought to quell concerns of the deceased's return from beyond the grave.