Vampire of Venice
In 2009, Matteo Borrini, an archeologist who is a contract professor with the University of Florence, revealed the skull of an elderly woman found buried on the island of Lazzaretto Nuovo near Venice, Italy and had a large brick wedged in her mouth. The island was used as a site to quarantine plague victims in the 16th and 17th centuries (A Guide in Venice).
National Geographic featured this story in an episode called “Vampire Forensics” which aired February 27, 2010 (Dell'Amore). In the episode, Matteo Borrini, the archeologist who found the skull, speculates that the brick suggests that there is a fear of the woman rising from the grave. He goes on to suggest that a bloody “purge fluid” (Dell Amore) escaped from the mouth and decayed the burial shroud giving the idea that the body was trying to chew through the shroud.
Anastasia Tsaliki, BA (Hons), PhD, raises some doubts about the validity of Borrini’s find (Smith). She points out that the idea of placing bricks into the mouths of suspected
vampires by grave diggers (as Borrini claims), was previously unheard of in that region. She continues on to suggest that the brick could possibly be from a wall that had fallen.
While an exciting find, it is possible that it is overstated. The media has failed to question the sources properly or to question the situation deeply. It would be interesting to see further examination of this skeleton by other archeologists.
National Geographic featured this story in an episode called “Vampire Forensics” which aired February 27, 2010 (Dell'Amore). In the episode, Matteo Borrini, the archeologist who found the skull, speculates that the brick suggests that there is a fear of the woman rising from the grave. He goes on to suggest that a bloody “purge fluid” (Dell Amore) escaped from the mouth and decayed the burial shroud giving the idea that the body was trying to chew through the shroud.
Anastasia Tsaliki, BA (Hons), PhD, raises some doubts about the validity of Borrini’s find (Smith). She points out that the idea of placing bricks into the mouths of suspected
vampires by grave diggers (as Borrini claims), was previously unheard of in that region. She continues on to suggest that the brick could possibly be from a wall that had fallen.
While an exciting find, it is possible that it is overstated. The media has failed to question the sources properly or to question the situation deeply. It would be interesting to see further examination of this skeleton by other archeologists.