Beheaded, died of head injuries: Knight’s temple site gives myster
3 mins read

Beheaded, died of head injuries: Knight’s temple site gives myster

An unusual “vampire” burial was discovered in Croatia. Researchers conducting an archaeological survey on the Rašaška site in eastern Croatia revealed a grave with an unusual burial practice, including the remains of the deceased intentionally expelled, According to archeonews.net.

The team discovered the grave, appointed grave 157, where two stones were found at the head and feet of the deceased. This arrangement may indicate a vampire burial, which is confirmed by anthropological analysis, Live Science reported. The examination revealed that the body had deliberately been twisted after death, resulting in the upper body towards downwards while other body parts were oriented upwards. In addition, the skeleton had been beheaded, with the skull placed separately from the other legs.

Anthropological analysis revealed that the individual was a man aged 40 to 50 years, according to arkeonews.net. Healed damage to the skeleton indicated that the man had lived a violent life. The analysis also showed signs of heavy physical work on the spine and lower extremities. New analysis established that he died of damage to his skull.

The unusual funeral may indicate that the individual was considered to be a “deviant social person” during life and was suspected of having the ability to rise again after death, which reflects social status or fear of vampirism. “We know that in many Slavic countries, faith in evil spirits continued even after the adoption of Christianity. The belief in vampires has been quite widespread, for sure,” said Nataša Šarkić, an independent archaeologist who studied the discovery, according to living science.

“Even a peaceful individual can become a potential threat of the funeral rituals not being properly carried out,” she added. Šarkić explained that people buried as vampires may have shown “sinful or violent behavior” during their lives. “Unlike the aristocratic vampires known for their pale skin and narrow figures, vampires from Balkanfolkore are often described as inflated, long lasting and with a red or dark skin,” she said. “Therefore, all corpses in an advanced stage of decomposition can resemble an” vampire, “she added.

From 2011 to 2023, archaeological studies revealed an architectural complex on the Rašaška site which includes over 180 skeletal burials and many dislocated legs, reported by Enikos. The C14 analysis showed that most graves go back to the 16th and 1500s, although the earliest May from the 1200s.

The Rašaška website is part of the larger settlement Bobare, which is owned during the early Middle Ages by Knight’s temples and was discovered in 2011 under systematic field research. In the 1500s, the country belonged to local nobles.

Based on the location and terrain configuration, everything indicates that the Rašaška site was a fortress.

Šarkić mentioned that there has been a new increase in discoveries of medieval vampire burials throughout Europe, especially in Poland.

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI Company Alchemiq