A medieval “vampire tomb” has been discovered in the city of Chełm in southeastern Poland. The discovery was announced publicly via Facebook by the Lublin Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments on September 12, 2024.
The interesting tomb, unearthed during restoration work at the Palace of the Uniate Bishops, which is part of a historical cathedral complex, became the center of attention among both archaeologists and anthropologists. Analyzes conducted on the findings, which reflect the “anti-vampire” practices of the period in terms of the way it was buried, show that the grave dates back to the 13th century.
Another interesting feature of the “vampire tomb” is that it contains remains consisting entirely of children’s skeletons. According to the examinations made by archaeologists, one of the children in the grave was beheaded and placed face down in the grave. It is thought that this was a practice to prevent the child from reviving and leaving the grave after death.
Image Credit: Lublin Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments
Another practice aimed at preventing resurrection was to cover the body with heavy stones. Such practices, which are common throughout Europe, show that people at that time had serious concerns about the afterlife and were very afraid of the idea of ”the resurrection of the dead.” In fact, there is no doubt that such burial practices were intertwined with the vampire myths that were widespread among the people.
Image Credit: Lublin Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments
Leading the excavations, Dr. Stanisław Gołub states that both children were placed in the grave without a coffin and that classical grave goods were not used during this burial. This is important evidence that the grave is an unusual one. It gives the impression that the children were buried away from the eyes of the public, mostly for ritual or punishment purposes. In particular, the absence of a known cemetery near the cathedral suggests that the area was used for “secret” or unofficial burials.
According to researchers, these findings are more than just an archaeological discovery, but can also be considered a reflection of the fear of death, supernatural beliefs and social exclusion in human history. The findings are of great importance, especially in terms of proving how powerful vampire myths are among the public and how such rituals leave deep traces in the social subconscious. While fear of vampires is now the stuff of gothic literature and fantasy films, these beliefs were much more serious elements for medieval societies.
Researchers also found pits around the grave where stakes were placed to hold the body in place and to see if it had risen.
In previous years, similar burial sites were found in Poland and various evidence of anti-vampire practices was obtained in these areas.
Vampire Beliefs in Europe
Vampire beliefs in medieval Europe were shaped by the interaction of cultural, socioeconomic and psychological factors. Beliefs in an afterlife and that souls could be restless and come to seek revenge were the most important elements that fed the fear of vampires. Difficult conditions such as epidemics, wars and famine increased people’s concerns about possible resurrections after death, which paved the way for the spread of vampire myths.
The church also played an important role in the spread of vampire myths. Within the framework of Christian theology, if a corpse was not buried correctly, the restlessness of its soul created a deep concern in society that the dead would rise and harm the living.
Evidence for anti-vampire practices is usually obtained from graves. For instance, the beheading of the dead, the placing of heavy stones on the corpse, the impaling of the corpses with stakes, or the placing of a sickle over the throat of the deceased are known to be the most common practices aimed at preventing the dead from leaving the grave.
