Archeologists have reconstructed the face of a 400-year-old woman who was thought to be a “vampire,” discovered two years ago in Poland.
According to CBS News, in 2022 archeologists in Poland discovered the remains of a woman from a gravesite in the village of Pien with a sickle around her neck and a triangular padlock on her foot.
People believe that the woman was a vampire, which is why she was buried with a farming tool on her neck to prevent her return from the dead.
A team of researchers from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun who made the “astonishing” discovery worked with the Swedish archaeologist Oscar Nilsson to reconstruct her face.
The team used the DNA of Zosia, as she was called by locals, 3D printing, and clay to recreate her face structure.
Nilsson told Reuters, “It's really ironic, in a way. These people buried her, they did everything they could in order to prevent her from coming back from the dead... we have done everything we can in order to bring her back to life."
“They opened her grave, found the padlock now open, and in great panic placed the sharp blade of a sickle over her neck. In case she would arise," he further added.
Moreover, during the reconstruction process, Nilsson created a 3D-printed replica of her skull by using data about her age, weight, and other details to sculpt her facial features and muscles.
He asserted, “I'm used to reconstructing faces, but in this case, also, I'm looking forward to giving her some human dignity back."
Furthermore, in a social media post, Nilsson revealed that the legend says that Zosia was buried with a padlock only, but when villagers started experiencing some unreal events, they decided to take further action and put a sickle around her neck.
