Scientists reconstruct the face of a 400-year-old Polish “vampire”.

In northern Poland, centuries ago, a young woman was buried in a way as singular as it was macabre: with an iron sickle pressed to her throat and a padlock on her foot. This extreme measure reflected the deep-rooted belief in the local community that the woman, now known as Zosiacould return from the dead. The details of his funeral reflect the fear of a time when people feared “strigas” or vampires, figures linked to legends and superstitions.

The inhabitants of the village of Pień, in the 17th century, lived under the shadow of famine, plague and war, a context that fueled belief in the supernatural and the need to prevent possible evil resurrections. The choice of a sickle and a padlock was not random: the first should have decapitated her if she tried to get up, while the second, according to folklore, served to “bind” the spirit.

The reconstruction of Zosia: from myth to reality

In 2022, researchers from Nicolaus Copernicus University, together with Swedish archaeologist Oscar Nilsson, carried out a project to restore a face to Zosia, using techniques of 3D printing and clay modeling. This work has made it possible to restore dignity to a young woman once considered a supernatural threat. Nilsson explained how ironic the path that led them to “bring back to life” was the one the community wanted to ensure would remain forever dead. Through bone scans, they noted abnormalities in the skull and sternum that may have caused symptoms, such as fainting or migraines, that were mistaken for signs of possession.

The outcome of the reconstruction was extraordinarily touching: Zosia regained a human face, inviting everyone to reflect on the thin line that separates fear from empathy. His reconstructed figure reminds us of how cruel misunderstanding can be and how superstition can transform ordinary people into victims of collective fears.