The grim ‘vampire tomb’ was uncovered during routine excavations at a church in the northern Polish village of Pączew after archaeologists discovered a stone slab decorated with an engraving of a skull.
Buried about six feet below, archeologists found the skeletal remains of a man likely dating back to the 17th century with a sickle placed around his neck.
In past centuries, those suspected of practicing witchcraft or being associated with evil forces were buried using specific methods designed to prevent them from rising from the dead.
These included placing a sickle around the neck so that it would cut off the head of someone trying to leave the grave, burying suspected vampires face down, or binding their hands and feet with ropes.
Anthropologist Dr. Justyna Kargus said the skeleton had unique physical traits that bore signs of trauma suffered during the man’s life.
She said: "His skull shows healed injuries, and his nose was deformed. This resulted in his front teeth being knocked out, so he was a toothless vampire."
She added that the discovery of a vampire burial in a church is especially rare, saying “no one expects to find a vampire in a church.”
Archaeologists also found the remains of two other people in the same church, though their identities remain unknown.
Researchers hope that further analysis will uncover more details about the lives of those buried.
