'Vampire' discovered in mass grave

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'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
OP - March 06, 2009, 11:13 PM

Just another example of bizarre stuff that some people used to believe.

'Vampire' discovered in mass grave

A SKELETON exhumed from a grave in Venice is being claimed as the first known example of the "vampires" widely referred to in contemporary documents.

Matteo Borrini of the University of Florence in Italy found the skeleton of a woman with a small brick in her mouth (see right) while excavating mass graves of plague victims from the Middle Ages on Lazzaretto Nuovo Island in Venice (see second image here).

At the time the woman died, many people believed that the plague was spread by "vampires" which, rather than drinking people's blood, spread disease by chewing on their shrouds after dying. Grave-diggers put bricks in the mouths of suspected vampires to stop them doing this, Borrini says.

The belief in vampires probably arose because blood is sometimes expelled from the mouths of the dead, causing the shroud to sink inwards and tear. Borrini, who presented his findings at a meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in Denver, Colorado, last week, claims this might be the first such vampire to have been forensically examined. The skeleton was removed from a mass grave of victims of the Venetian plague of 1576.

However, Peer Moore-Jansen of Wichita State University in Kansas says he has found similar skeletons in Poland and that while Borrini's finding is exciting, "claiming it as the first vampire is a little ridiculous".

Borrini says his study details the earliest grave to show archaeological "exorcism evidence against vampires".

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Re: 'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
Reply #1 - March 07, 2009, 08:51 AM

Quote from: osmanthus on March 06, 2009, 11:13 PM
Grave-diggers put bricks in the mouths of suspected vampires to stop them doing this, Borrini says.

How disrespectful of the poor departed people. At least the woman was already dead, not killed for being a vampire.

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Re: 'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
Reply #2 - March 08, 2009, 03:50 AM

Quote from: Rashna on March 07, 2009, 08:51 AM
Quote from: osmanthus on March 06, 2009, 11:13 PM
Grave-diggers put bricks in the mouths of suspected vampires to stop them doing this, Borrini says.

How disrespectful of the poor departed people. At least the woman was already dead, not killed for being a vampire.

Who are we to judge, I mean, the plague *did* end, didn't it?

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Re: 'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
Reply #3 - March 10, 2009, 06:54 AM

I must say, Buffy the Vampire Slayer makes the whole vampire scene seem cooler than it is.
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Re: 'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
Reply #4 - March 10, 2009, 07:44 AM

Quote from: heartbomb on March 10, 2009, 06:54 AM
I must say, Buffy the Vampire Slayer makes the whole vampire scene seem cooler than it is.

Absolutely.

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Re: 'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
Reply #5 - March 10, 2009, 08:50 AM

Quote from: BerberElla on March 10, 2009, 07:44 AM
Quote from: heartbomb on March 10, 2009, 06:54 AM
I must say, Buffy the Vampire Slayer makes the whole vampire scene seem cooler than it is.

Absolutely.

I'm totally addicted to the series though...I just realized how much I like Angel....
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Re: 'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
Reply #6 - March 10, 2009, 09:47 AM

Oh, a few weeks ago I watched all 7 seasons for days and days on end, if you look on surfthechannel you'll see I provided links for other people to enjoy the series too.

Yeah angel is alright, I'm more of a buffy fan, they'll never ever make a vampire series as good as hers was.

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Re: 'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
Reply #7 - March 10, 2009, 10:17 AM

Quote from: BerberElla on March 10, 2009, 09:47 AM
Oh, a few weeks ago I watched all 7 seasons for days and days on end, if you look on surfthechannel you'll see I provided links for other people to enjoy the series too.

Yeah angel is alright, I'm more of a buffy fan, they'll never ever make a vampire series as good as hers was.

Oh yes, I don't like the Angel series, I meant the guy...

My boyfriend ripped the whole series off one of his mates, and has them on his computer, so I've been watching them...which reminds me, I have some more Buffy to watch!
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Re: 'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
Reply #8 - March 10, 2009, 10:28 AM

Angel was much fitter and hotter when he first appeared in Buffy, but in Angel not as hot.

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Re: 'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
Reply #9 - March 10, 2009, 10:38 AM

Spike is hotter, but then we turned into a pussy in later seasons :(

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Re: 'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
Reply #10 - March 10, 2009, 10:39 AM

Quote from: PeruvianSkies on March 10, 2009, 10:38 AM
Spike is hotter, but then we turned into a pussy in later seasons :(

Did we?

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Re: 'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
Reply #11 - March 10, 2009, 11:09 AM

Quote from: PeruvianSkies on March 10, 2009, 10:38 AM
Spike is hotter, but then we turned into a pussy in later seasons :(
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Re: 'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
Reply #12 - March 10, 2009, 12:11 PM

So Allat talked me into watching Battlestar Galactica annnnndddd

I'm really not that thrilled with it. It's ok but nothing to write home about IMO.

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