16th-Century 'Vampire' Woman's Face Reconstructed

Researchers use 3D technology to recreate the face of a woman buried with a brick in her mouth, a practice believed to prevent vampirism during the plague era.

• Researchers have reconstructed the face of a 16th-century Italian woman believed to be a vampire, buried with a brick in her mouth to prevent her from 'feeding' on plague victims.
• The woman was found in a mass grave on the Venetian island of Lazzaretto Nuovo, used as a quarantine site during the bubonic plague outbreaks.
• Forensic studies suggest the woman was around 60 years old, of European ancestry, and belonged to the lower class, with a diet mainly consisting of grains and vegetables.
• The practice of placing a brick in the mouth of suspected vampires was linked to the plague-era paranoia and myths about vampires spreading the disease.
• 3D designer Cicero Moraes used scans of the remains and historical data to recreate the woman's features, exploring the feasibility of inserting a brick into her mouth without damaging the teeth or soft tissue.

3 Articles

The Jerusalem Post New York Post Study Finds