Vampire burial unearthed in Italy

摘要

Excavations in an ancient Roman cemetery turned eerie last summer. In one grave lay a roughly 10-year-old child, possibly the victim of malaria, with a stone inserted in his or her mouth. That practice was part of a funeral ritual intended to prevent the youngster from rising zombielike and spreading disease to the living, researchers say. The team found this "vampire burial" at the Cemetery of the Babies, a mid-fifth century site in Italy. The results will be presented in January at a meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America. A malaria outbreak in the region killed many babies and young children around the time of the child's burial. Bones of several kids buried there have yielded DNA of malaria parasites. Many of the children were accompanied by objects associated with beliefs in witchcraft and magic, such as raven talons and toad bones. Stones had been placed on the hands and feet of a 3-year-old, another practice used by various cultures to keep the dead in their graves.