Polish ‘vampires’ were killed by CHOLERA: Tests reveal suspected bloodsuckers were actually early victims of the epidemic

Greetings,

Polish ‘vampires’ were killed by CHOLERA: Tests reveal suspected bloodsuckers were actually early victims of the epidemic

Skeletons found in a cemetery in Poland were suspected as vampires are thought to have been the first to die in disease outbreaks
The victims were buried with sickles across their necks and stones under their chins to prevent them rising from the dead and biting the living
Scientists carried out tests on the vampires’ teeth in an attempt to understand why they had been been buried in this way
Similar burial practices to ward off evil were common in Eastern Europe
By RICHARD GRAY FOR MAILONLINE

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Legends of vampires roaming rural areas of Eastern Europe may have actually been the result of untimely deaths of cholera victims, according to scientists.
Suspected vampires were buried in bizarre rituals during the 17th and 18th centuries to ward off evil and prevent them from rising again from the grave.
But rather than being blood-sucking monsters, tests have revealed they were in fact early victims of cholera and were viewed suspiciously because they died so suddenly.
This 30 to 39-year-old female was found buried with a sickle across her neck in an attempt to cut her head off should she try to rise from the dead, but scientists believe she may have been the victim of a cholera outbreak. However, they have been not yet been able to find evidence of the disease on the remains

This 30 to 39-year-old female was found buried with a sickle across her neck in an attempt to cut her head off should she try to rise from the dead, but scientists believe she may have been the victim of a cholera outbreak. However, they have been not yet been able to find evidence of the disease on the remains
Archaeologists discovered skeletons in a Polish cemetery that had rocks and sickles placed across their necks in these strange funerals, known as apotropaic burials.
Initially it was thought the people had been suspected as vampires because they were viewed with suspicion for being outsiders who had recently moved to the area before dying.
However, now scientists have analysed the dental enamel from the teeth of six ‘vampires’ along with 60 other individuals from the cemetery.

They found that rather than being immigrants to the area, they were locals and their deaths had instead been viewed by others in the area as strange for other reasons.
The scientists claim that the burials appear to match with a time when cholera epidemics were prevalent in Eastern Europe and these may have been the first people to die in outbreaks.
Dr Lesley Gregoricka, from University of South Alabama, who led the work, said: ‘People of the post-medieval period did not understand how disease was spread.
‘Rather than a scientific explanation for these epidemics, cholera, and the deaths that resulted from it, were explained by the supernatural – in this case, vampires.’
Vampire legends have suggested that the power of the undead can be passed to their victims through their bite, much like a disease….MORE HERE

 

Click here for reuse options!
Copyright 2014 Hiram's 1555 Blog