Venice, Italy – In a chilling discovery on the Venetian island of Lazzaretto Nuovo, scientists have recreated the face of a 16th-century woman with a brick jammed into her mouth. The brick was believed to have been wedged there by locals to prevent her from feeding on the dead, as they suspected she was a vampire. The island, once used as a bubonic plague quarantine in the late 1500s and 1600s, unveiled a mass grave that revealed this macabre burial practice.
Forensic researcher Cícero Moraes shed light on the unusual finding, explaining that the stone or brick was likely used as a protective measure to stop the supposed vampire from spreading disease. Using advanced reconstruction technology, Moraes investigated the possibility of the brick being inserted into the woman’s mouth while she was still alive, without causing damage to her teeth or soft tissue. The study also hinted at the involvement of a graverobber who may have placed the brick to “exorcise” the woman, preventing her from biting and infecting others after death.
Previous studies on the remains revealed that the woman was of European descent and had lived until the age of 61. This age was considered advanced for that time period, challenging the misconception that old age was rare in earlier centuries. In a detailed analysis, researchers recreated the skull and created a styrofoam “brick” to determine the time of insertion, whether before or after death. The presence of a depression in the mouth region of the body indicated to the burial party the possibility of chewing, adding another layer of intrigue to the mysterious case.
Despite lingering questions surrounding this centuries-old enigma, Moraes affirmed the feasibility of inserting a brick of similar dimensions into the oral cavity while maintaining the integrity of the anatomical structures. This unsettling revelation adds complexity to the story of the 16th-century woman buried with a brick in her mouth, highlighting the superstitions and fears of the time. As researchers delve deeper into this unsettling tale, more insights may emerge, shedding light on the practices and beliefs of past civilizations.