Face of a 'vampire': Why this man was decapitated after death

The face of a "vampire" whose remains were posthumously mutilated to prevent them rising from the dead can be seen for the first time in more than 400 years.

Discovered in a grave at Racesa, a fortress in eastern Croatia, the body had been exhumed, beheaded and reburied face down beneath heavy stones. And since the desecration cannot be explained by environmental factors, experts believe it was done to stop the dead man returning as a vampire.

Now the face of the deceased can be seen for the first time in centuries, after scientists rebuilt his likeness from his skull. Archaeologist Natasa Sarkic, part of the excavation team, said the fear inspired by the man in death may stem from the fear he inspired in life.

She said: "Bioarchaeological analysis showed that this man often participated in violent conflicts, and died a violent death. "He experienced at least three episodes of serious interpersonal violence during his lifetime.

"One of those attacks left his face disfigured, which could cause fear and repulsion, leading to social exclusion. "Before even recovering from the penultimate trauma, he sustained a final fatal attack." She continued: "Individuals who died violently, behaved violently in life, or were considered sinful or socially deviant, were believed to be at risk of becoming vampires.

"He may have been regarded as a 'vampire', or a supernatural threat due to his facial disfigurement and his marginal lifestyle, characterised by repeated interpersonal violence. "Such beings were thought to be restless, vengeful, and capable of harming the living, spreading disease and killing people or livestock." Dr Sarkic said that, in the Slavic tradition, the soul remains attached to the body for about 40 days after death.

In this time, various preventative measures could be used to prevent the dead from returning as vampires. These included staking, burning or beheading the corpse, burying it face down, weighing it down with stones and binding the limbs.

This burial therefore showed "practices commonly associated with 'anti-vampire' rituals at the time.