A skeleton buried without its head, likely out of fear it would return from the dead, has been unearthed in a medieval Croatian fortress. Archaeologists believe the remains, found at Vranduk Fortress, belonged to a man executed and buried with unusual post-mortem treatment to prevent him from becoming a vampire.
This isn’t just folklore—centuries ago, superstition dictated that the dead weren’t always meant to stay that way. In parts of Europe, those suspected of being vampires were decapitated, staked, or buried with heavy objects to keep them from clawing their way back to the land of the living. The Croatian discovery follows similar findings across the continent, including skeletons with bricks shoved in their mouths, iron spikes through their chests, and other grim precautions.
The remains, roughly 500 years old, were found in a cemetery within the fortress walls. The head was missing—a classic sign of anti-vampire measures. According to archaeologists, the man may have been executed under suspicion of being a supernatural threat, a common fear in medieval Europe. At the time, disease and death were poorly understood, and anything out of the ordinary—unexplained deaths, strange illnesses, or bodies that didn’t decay as expected—could trigger vampire paranoia.
Eastern and Central Europe were particularly notorious for vampire hysteria. In the 17th and 18th centuries, reports of the undead terrorizing villages led to exhumations and brutal rituals designed to stop the “undead” in their tracks. Even government officials got involved, documenting cases of supposed vampires and how they were dealt with.
This Croatian discovery is just the latest in a long line of eerie burials. Similar finds have been made in Poland, Italy, and Bulgaria, where suspected vampires were pinned to the ground with iron stakes or buried face-down to confuse them if they tried to rise. One of the most famous cases was in Venice, where a woman was found with a brick wedged in her mouth—a method used to prevent vampires from feeding on the living.
While modern science dismisses the idea of vampires, these burials reveal a fascinating glimpse into the fears and beliefs of the past. People weren’t just afraid of death—they were terrified of what might happen afterward. And in a time before modern medicine, when plagues, famines, and mysterious illnesses ravaged entire communities, it’s no surprise they resorted to extreme measures.
The Vranduk Fortress skeleton is still undergoing analysis, and researchers hope to learn more about the man’s life, cause of death, and why exactly he ended up with his head removed. Whether he was a criminal, an outsider, or just unlucky enough to be labeled a vampire, his burial speaks volumes about the dark fears that shaped medieval Europe.
