Child’s Skeleton Found Padlocked to 17th Century Grave

In Poland, archaeologists have made a remarkable discovery—a skeleton found padlocked from the seventeenth century. What makes this find even more intriguing is that the child was buried with a padlock, as if to prevent them from returning to life.

The young child, estimated to be between six to seven years old, was laid to rest in an unusual position. Underneath his foot, a triangular iron padlock was found. This mysterious burial has resulted in many questions.

Ancient beliefs in vampires

The child’s burial in the northern village of Pien appears to be connected to ancient beliefs in vampires. The skeleton reveals that the child was buried facing downwards and secured with a padlock, likely so as to prevent any supernatural return.

Interestingly, this discovery was made at the same location where, a year ago, archaeologists detected the remains of a woman. She, too, had a triangular padlock on her foot, and a sickle was found around her neck. This placement of the sharp blade was also likely intended to prevent her from coming back to life, according to old beliefs.

Professor Dariusz Polinski, a specialist in medieval burials from Nicolas Copernicus University in Torun, explained that the cemetery where these discoveries were made was a burial ground for individuals considered to be outcasts.

These people were probably feared not only while they were alive but also after they had passed away due to suspicions of their association with impure forces or because of their unusual behavior.

Harmful tendencies of the child

The child had likely been buried facing downwards as a safety measure to prevent him or her from rising out of the grave and harming the living.

Professor Polinski mentioned that such individuals were those who might have been perceived as potentially dangerous, and this burial practice was a way to avoid contact with them. They were believed to have the ability to bite and drink blood much like vampires.

'Vampire child' with padlocked ankle dug up in 17th-century Polish cemetery! pic.twitter.com/PlAlzlx1mP

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The child’s remains and bones are from a time when people believed in the existence of ghosts, zombies, and other supernatural beings. They were considered to be as real as actual humans.

Some time after the burial, the grave was disturbed, and all of the child’s bones were removed, excluding the legs.

To prevent the deceased from returning to life after being buried, Professor Polinski explained that many graves also contained stones. These stones were strategically placed on various parts of the body, such as the elbow, larynx, or neck, with the belief that the deceased would be refrained in such a way from returning as the living dead.