The skeleton of a "vampire" sparks debate among scientists about its true story
Since 2006, the discovery by archaeologists of the remains of a buried woman with a brick placed between her jaws has sparked a widespread debate about the reason behind this strange method of burial.
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Numerous studies have indicated, since then, that this method was used to exorcise
evil spirits in the "first burial of vampires."
Archaeologists found the remains of the woman in a mass grave of plague victims from the 16th century, which is located on the island of Novo Lazaretto in Venice.
Anthropologist Matteo Borini of the University of Florence, Italy, said in a study published in 2009 that burying a woman with a brick in her mouth may be an approved ritual in the first burial of vampires known in archeology.
Vampire myths were common when the plague ravaged Europe, and a large part, if not all, of this folklore could be due to misconceptions about the natural stages of decomposition, as, for example, the grave diggers who reopened mass graves would sometimes stumble. Their bodies were swollen due to gas, as hair continued to grow, and blood leaked from their mouths, which led them to believe that their bodies were still alive.
The shrouds used to cover the dead’s faces were often decomposed by bacteria in the mouth, revealing the corpses ’teeth that came to be described as vampires, also known as" shrouds eaters. "
According to medieval medical and religious texts, it was believed that the "living dead" spread the plague in order to absorb the remaining life from the corpses until they gained the strength to return to the streets again.
Borini said: "To kill the vampire, they had to remove the shroud from the mouth of the corpse and place something in it that was not eaten. It is possible that other bodies were found with bricks in their mouths, but this is the first time that such a ritual has been recognized."
However, a number of scholars have opposed this theory, which has sparked a debate about the true story surrounding this historical discovery.
Simona Menozzi of the University of Pisa, Italy, told Live Science, “It is surprising that the reviewers of an important journal like the Journal of Forensic Sciences gave permission to publish an article by Borini with insufficient scientific evidence to support my hypothesis.
Menozy also argued that the body's jaws often open up over time during the period of decomposition, allowing any elements to fall into it. For example, they noticed a skeleton with a thigh bone in its mouth in the cemetery of Vecchio Lazaretto in Venice.
She described the idea of a "vampire" as "nonsense," adding that there is no clear evidence for this theory, noting: "Unfortunately, this is a common practice in Italy in the past few years. This may be due to the significant decrease in the funds allocated to research in Italy, therefore," Researchers seek to attract attention and money through exciting discoveries that often have nothing to do with science. "
d discussed how the physical details of the site support their interpretation. He added, "Regarding criticism of my colleagues, I must admit that it is a very disturbing situation. The main reasons for my research interest appear to be its success in the media."
Source: Express
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