In 2009, the Italian archaeologist Matteo Borrini from the University of Florence made a very special discovery on the Lazaretto Nuovo island in Venice.
Borrini led the excavation of a medieval mass grave filled with victims of the plague that ravaged the city in the 16th century.
Among the remains was discovered the skeleton of a woman with a brick in her mouth.
The macabre discovery sparked a multitude of theories linked to ancient folklore and superstition. Pretty soon it was nicknamed “The Vampire of Venice”.
She ate this
Closer examination revealed that the skull had belonged to a woman of European ancestry, who died when she was about 61 years old.
An analysis of the woman’s diet showed that she ate mainly grains and vegetables, which indicated that she was from the lower class of Europe at the time she lived.
ANCIENT HORROR: The woman with the brick was found in a mass grave from the Middle Ages, filled with victims of the plague. Photo: Reuters/NTB
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The question of how the brick had ended up in the skeleton’s mouth became the subject of extensive debate.
Some archaeologists have suggested that the brick may have been placed intentionally as part of a superstitious burial ritual to prevent a suspected “vampire” from rising from the dead.
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Plague spreaders
When Matteo Borrini presented his findings at a forensic science conference in Denver, he himself claimed that it was the first known example of “vampires” referred to in medieval documents.
– At the time when the woman died, many people believed that it was “vampires” who spread the plague, he said in an interview with the research journal NewScientist.
‘VAMPIRE’ HORROR: The unusual burial sparked theories about ancient vampire folklore and plague superstitions. Photo: Reuters/NTB
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Borrini theorized that a gravedigger might have wedged a rock between the corpse’s teeth to prevent the alleged vampire from chewing through the shroud and infecting others with the plague.
Others have argued that the brick could have ended up there by chance, and that more evidence was needed to support claims of intentional placement.
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Tested out the brick grip
Now a recent study – carried out by forensic expert and 3D designer Cicero Moraes – has sparked renewed interest in the remarkable case. The study is, among other things, discussed by the scientific website StudyFinds.
Moraes and his colleagues decided to test whether it was physically possible to stick a brick into a corpse’s mouth without damaging the teeth or jaw. To investigate this, they combined digital modeling with hands-on experimentation and data from the original archaeological reports.
MOUTHFUL: A new study has looked at the macabre finding. Photo: Cicero Moraes
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Although they had no direct access to the original skeletal remains, the team writes that they created a reasonably accurate digital copy of the skull. They then simulated the insertion of a brick.
In order to validate the digital findings, Moraes and his colleagues carried out practical experiments with a real human skull.
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A portrait of a “vampire”
By combining findings from the digital and physical experiments, Moraes’ study concluded that it is indeed possible to insert a brick into a corpse’s mouth without damaging the skeletal structures. Especially if it is done before the death stiffness sets in.
MODEL: Cicero Moraes used styrofoam to recreate the brick to see if it would fit in his mouth. Photo: Cicero Moraes
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Although they cannot be characterized as definitive proof, according to StudyFinds, the findings lend credence to the theory that the brick in the “Vampire of Venice” burial may have been placed there on purpose.
In addition to dealing with the brick mystery, Moraes performed his own facial reconstruction of the woman.
First, he conducted a CT scan of another person, then digitally deformed the skull and matched the external features of the “vampire woman”.
“VAMPIRE PORTRAIT”: This is what Cicero Moraes thinks the woman from the 16th century most likely looked like. Photo: Cicero Moraes
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The deformed skull was used as a basis for reconstructing facial features by combining, among other things, digital sculpting and anatomical references.
The result was a three-dimensional, lifelike rendering of what Moraes claims is the “vampire’s” face.
Never seen anything like it
Like printing a moon picture
The “vampire portrait” is now being massively slaughtered by several forensic experts, including Matteo Borrini.
– The portrait is far from a scientific reconstruction, considering that he never had access to the original remains. I have never shared any data with him, says Borrini to StudyFinds.
He is strongly critical of the technique Moraes has used.
– This is not science fiction or bad science – it is not science at all. It is as if someone had printed out a picture of the moon, put it on the floor, stepped on it and claimed to have walked on the moon.
