Archaeologyforensics News

"16th-Century Vampire: Face Reconstructed with Brick in Mouth"

Scientists have reconstructed the face of a 16th-century woman found buried with a brick jammed into her mouth on the Venetian island of Lazzaretto Nuovo, believed to prevent her from feeding as locals thought she was a vampire. The woman, who lived into her 60s, was found in a mass grave from the bubonic plague era, and researchers used forensic reconstruction to investigate whether the brick was placed before or after her death, ultimately concluding that it was likely inserted while she was still alive.