Vampire Face Rebuilt: Science Reveals 18th-Century Man’s Likeness

The face of a man whose remains were mutilated after death to prevent him from rising as a vampire has been reconstructed for the first time in over 400 years.

‘Vampire’ Remains Discovered in Croatia

The body was discovered in a grave at Racesa, a fortress in eastern Croatia, and had been exhumed, beheaded, and reburied face down under heavy stones. Experts determined the desecration was likely performed to prevent the man from returning as a vampire, as environmental factors could not explain the treatment of the remains.

Scientists rebuilt the man’s likeness from his skull, revealing his face for the first time in centuries.

Archaeologist Natasa Sarkic, a member of the excavation team, suggested the fear surrounding the man in death may have stemmed from fear he inspired in life. Bioarchaeological analysis indicated the man frequently participated in violent conflicts and died a violent death, experiencing at least three serious injuries during his lifetime.

One attack left his face disfigured, potentially causing fear and social exclusion. He sustained a final, fatal attack shortly after.

Individuals who died violently, behaved violently in life, or were considered sinful or socially deviant were believed to be at risk of becoming vampires, Sarkic explained. The man may have been regarded as a supernatural threat due to his facial disfigurement and marginal lifestyle characterized by repeated interpersonal violence.

According to Slavic tradition, the soul remains attached to the body for approximately 40 days after death. During this time, preventative measures such as staking, burning, beheading, burying face down, weighing down with stones, and binding limbs were used to prevent the dead from returning as vampires.

The burial at Racesa demonstrated practices commonly associated with “anti-vampire” rituals of the time.

The facial reconstruction was completed by graphics expert Cicero Moraes, who virtually rebuilt the man’s skull using data from a CT scan. He then used data from living donors to plot the likely placement of facial features and soft tissue thickness.

An objective version of the face was created based solely on the skull’s shape, while a second, more artistic version introduced speculative elements for a more life-like recreation. Moraes described the final likeness as “hostile” and “threatening,” noting the facial scar and other injuries indicated a turbulent life.

The Racesa “vampire” lived in the 15th or 16th century, was approximately 5ft 4in tall, and is believed to have died between the ages of 40 and 50. His injuries suggest he may have been a soldier or someone accustomed to violent encounters.

His grave was located in what appeared to be a church, but in “the most disfavoured spot” along the wall. There were no cut marks on his neck, skull, or shoulders consistent with decapitation, suggesting his head was pulled from his body.

The grave was discovered in 2023 and is one of more than 180 burials found at the fortress, located 70 miles southeast of Zagreb. Similar examples of vampire beliefs and desecrated graves have been found elsewhere in Europe, including Poland and Serbia, where the body of Petar Blagojevic was staked through the heart and burned in 1725. Jure Grando Alilovic, a Croatian villager who died in 1656, is also described as a vampire in historical records.

Racesa was historically occupied by the Templars, then the Knights Hospitaller, and finally by local nobility.

Moraes, Sarkic, and their co-authors published their study in the journal OrtogOnLineMag.