Pien, Poland Reuters —Archaeologists in Poland have uncovered the remains of a 17th-century child padlocked to his grave to stop him rising from the dead, a discovery that turns the spotlight on beliefs in vampires as Halloween approaches. A woman’s body was also found in the cemetery with a padlock on her leg and a sickle around the neck, suggesting she was believed to be a vampire. “These are people who, if it was done intentionally, were afraid of … contact with these people because they might bite, drink blood,” Polinski said. The child’s grave was desecrated at some point after burial and all bones removed apart from those in the legs. Archaeologists have found other methods used to stop the living dead, with Polinski describing strange practices found in some burials.

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Persons: padlocked, …, ”, Dariusz Polinski, Nicolaus, Nicolas, ” Polinski Organizations: Poland Reuters — Archaeologists, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Nicolas Copernicus University Institute of Archaeology Locations: Pien, Poland, Polish, Toruń