A team of scientists has brought to life the face of “Zosia,” a young woman buried 400 years ago in northern Poland under a veil of supersтιтion.

A team of scientists has brought to life the face of “Zosia,” a young woman buried 400 years ago in northern Poland under a veil of supersтιтion. Found in an unmarked cemetery in Pien in 2022, Zosia was buried with a padlock on her foot and an iron sickle over her neck—measures intended to prevent her from “returning” as a vampire. Now, using DNA analysis, 3D printing, and clay modelling, Swedish archaeologist Oscar Nilsson has reconstructed Zosia’s face, hoping to highlight her humanity rather than the monster image she was feared to be. Zosia, who was about 18-20 years old, likely suffered from health issues that might have led villagers to fear her. The cemetery also revealed other “vampire” graves, including that of a child buried face down with similar precautions. Nilsson painstakingly rebuilt her face “muscle by muscle,” aiming to restore her humanity, and offering a poignant reminder of how supersтιтion shaped the lives—and burials—of people centuries ago.

The “400-year-old Polish vampire” might refer to the skeleton of a woman uncovered in Poland, which was believed to belong to someone who had been buried in a way that suggested she was thought to be a vampire or someone who posed a supernatural threat during her time.

In 2021, researchers working in the village of Pien in Poland discovered a grave containing the remains of a woman who had been buried with a sickle across her neck, a padlock on her foot, and her mouth packed with stones. These burial practices were common for those suspected of being vampires or witches in Europe during the early modern period (16th to 18th century). The idea was that people believed these individuals would rise from the grave or spread disease, and so they took these precautions to prevent them from coming back to life.

Using modern technology, including 3D imaging, scientists reconstructed the woman’s face. This work provides a glimpse into the life and appearance of someone from that time, though it also tells a larger story about supersтιтion and the fear of the supernatural in pre-modern Europe.

The “vampire” label is more of an interpretation based on the burial method, not necessarily a suggestion that the individual had anything to do with the folklore of vampires, as we understand it today. Still, it certainly paints a vivid picture of how people in the past tried to protect themselves from what they perceived as dangerous, supernatural forces.