'Vampire child' with padlock found in 17th century grave. It was to prevent...

Archaeologists have delved into the shadowy past of a 17th-century Polish village uncovering the remains of a young "vampire" child who had been interred face down and secured to the earth with a padlock. This macabre discovery in the village of Pień sought to quell concerns of the deceased's return from beyond the grave.

The lead archaeologist on the excavation, Professor Dariusz Poliński of Nicolaus Copernicus University, unveiled this grim tableau, describing the unmarked, mass cemetery as a resting place for "the excluded" - those shunned from Christian burial grounds for diverse reasons.

The child's skeletal remains, believed to be that of a 5 to 7-year-old, were unearthed in proximity to a fellow "vampire" inhabitant - a woman who was buried with a padlock binding her big toe and a sickle ominously poised to sever her head should she attempt a resurrection.

This eerie necropolis, known as the "city of the dead," stands testament to a bygone era’s beliefs and practices that defy conventional understanding.
Professor Poliński and his team have exhumed around 100 graves from this cemetery, each revealing peculiar burial techniques aimed at thwarting the return of the dead.

These so-called "anti-vampiric" measures include triangular padlocks, reminiscent of dark rituals, that were fastened to the feet of the dead to anchor them firmly to the earth. Signs of grave disturbances and post-burial excavations underline the desperate efforts to contain the restless spirits believed to stalk the living.