Recreating the face of a decapitated man to prevent resurrection

The face of a 15th or 16th-century “vampire” from eastern Croatia, whose remains were mutilated posthumously to prevent rising from the dead, has been reconstructed by scientists using his skull. The man, involved in violent conflicts during his lifetime, was believed to be at risk of becoming a vampire due to his facial disfigurement and marginal lifestyle. Anti-vampire burial rituals were found to be practiced on him, including beheading and burying him face down. The reconstructed face reveals a hostile likeness, reflecting a life of turbulence and violence.

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