Archaeologists in Poland uncovered the remains of a woman, referred to as Zosia, in August 2022, found in a gravesite with a sickle around her neck and a triangular padlock on her foot.

This 400-year-old burial, discovered in an unmarked cemetery in the village of Pien, suggests the woman was considered a vampire, and the sickle was placed to prevent her from rising from the dead.

The Nicolaus Copernicus University research team, led by Professor Dariusz Polinski and Swedish archaeologist Oscar Nilsson, reconstructed her face using DNA, 3D printing, and clay.

Zosia’s remains also included a silk headdress, indicating her high social status, CBS News has reported.

The burial practices observed were common in 17th-century Poland, responding to fears of a vampire epidemic.

Written by B.C. Begley