Archaeologists have discovered the vampire burial of a 10-year-old child in an ancient Roman cemetery in Italy
In an ancient Roman cemetery in Italy, archaeologists have discovered the "vampire burial" of a 10-year-old child. This example indicates the lengths to which the ancient Romans went to ensure that the dead would not rise from the grave and haunt the living.
Archaeologists from the University of Arizona, Stanford University and Italy have found the remains of a baby at the Necropoli dei Bambini, also known as the Cemetery of Infants, in Lugnano, Italy.
When archaeologists came across the body of a baby lying on its side, they saw that a stone had been placed in its mouth. They believe that the stone was placed to prevent the child from coming back to life.
"I've never seen anything like this," said David Soren, an archaeologist and professor at the University of Arizona. "It's very creepy and strange. The locals call it the 'Vampire of Lugnano'."
Soren has been directing archaeological excavations in the area since 1987. Until now, experts believed that the cemetery was for fetuses, babies and small children, but the discovery of a 10-year-old child suggests that older children may have been buried in the cemetery.
The Italian cemetery dates back to the mid-fifth century, when a deadly malaria outbreak devastated the population of vulnerable infants and children in the surrounding area.
Burying vampires was not an uncommon practice in those days, as the ancient Romans believed that by doing so they were protecting themselves from evil, such as diseases like malaria.
In addition to the 10-year-old child, five other burials had previously been discovered in the cemetery. For example, a three-year-old girl had her arms and legs pinned down by stones to keep her in the grave.
In addition, previous excavations at the cemetery have uncovered items associated with witchcraft. Among them were toad bones, raven claws and the remains of sacrificed puppies.
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