Research by archaeologists from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń gained attention when, in 2022, they discovered the skeleton of a young woman with a triangular padlock on her toe and a sickle placed across her neck. Media in Poland and abroad quickly labeled the girl as a “vampire,” despite scientists pointing out that such a burial might indicate protective measures against the dead, traditionally referred to as anti-vampiric practices.
Archaeologists from Toruń have been exploring the cemetery in Pień near Dąbrowa Chełmińska since 2005. A breakthrough in their research came with the discovery of the grave of a young woman they named Zosia. Another significant advancement occurred in October 2024, when they successfully reconstructed her appearance.
Work on this task began in the spring of the same year, led by Oscar Nilsson, a Swedish forensic reconstructionist trained as an artist and archaeologist, specialising in the facial reconstruction of our ancestors. He presented the reconstruction of Zosia’s face on 28th October 2024.
The unknown fate of Zosia
Zosia was buried at an unmarked cemetery in Pień, near Bydgoszcz. The girl died in the 17th century at the age of around 18-20. Researchers note that this discovery is the first archaeologically documented case in Poland of a deceased person being doubly secured with both a sickle and a padlock. Little is known about the cause of her death, and there are equally many questions surrounding the manner of her burial.
The 17th century was a time when people were highly superstitious, believing in witches, vampires, and other Slavic demons. As a result, the find was quickly dubbed the “vampire grave” by the media, despite scientists expressing skepticism. “I would regard these measures more as precautions against the dead, traditionally known as anti-vampiric,” explained Dr Dariusz Poliński, professor at the Department of Medieval and Modern History at the Faculty of Historical Sciences at Nicolaus Copernicus University, who led the research in Pień.
Professor Poliński emphasised that we can be quite sure that Zosia did not die a violent death, nor was she one of those convicted in witch trials. “One hypothesis is that the local population feared her revenge. It is very possible that a tragedy occurred in the woman’s life, and she was harmed. On the other hand, her appearance or behavior might have made the local people fear her,” Professor Poliński pointed out. Poliński suggests that the girl may have been ill, had some physical or mental defect, or was treated poorly by her fellow villagers, who feared she would haunt them after death.
Researchers also found a cap made of silk fabric with a silver or gold wrapping near her head. This suggests that the woman might have come from a family of high social status.
A facial reconstruction by Swedish forensic artist
“Archaeologists give him skulls—he brings them to life,” National Geographic once wrote about Oscar Nilsson, also calling him a “history detective.” Nilsson uses forensic facial reconstruction to recreate what “the long dead looked like when they walked the Earth.” In his work, he combines anatomical, historical, and archaeological knowledge with artistic skills, and he employs the latest technologies, such as 3D printing and DNA analysis. “The idea is to bring these skeletons to life, to make the public realize that they were humans, just like you and me. They are not just skeletons,” he said in an interview in 2022.
Nilsson emphasized that facial reconstruction generally takes between 200 and 400 hours. Zosia’s recreation began with the creation of a 3D-printed replica of the skull, followed by the gradual building of plasticine clay layers, “muscle by muscle.” As he notes, the most challenging and uncertain aspects are usually replicating the shape of the ears and the tip of the nose. Furthermore, if DNA analysis is not available, all pigmentation—such as eye, hair, and skin colour—remains highly speculative.
Zosia’s bust will be sent to Poland.
Reconstruction of Zosia’s face. Photo: Oscar Nilsson, Project Pien
Padlocks Found in Graves During Archaeological Excavations in Pien. Photo: Andrzej Romański
Photo: Łukasz Czyżewski
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