The Face of a ‘Vampire’: 400-Year-Old Skull Reconstructed

Scientists have reconstructed the face of a man from 15th or 16th century Croatia whose remains were ritually mutilated after death because villagers feared he would rise from the grave as a vampire.

Found in a church graveyard at Racesa fortress, the body had been exhumed, beheaded, and reburied face down—a Slavic tradition meant to prevent the dead from returning as malevolent spirits.

Archaeologist Natasa Sarkic determined the man lived a violent life, with a poorly healed broken ankle and recent rib fractures, and ultimately suffered a violent death.

His disfigured appearance and history of conflict likely marked him as a prime candidate for posthumous mutilation.

Using AI, CT scan data, and anatomical deformation techniques, graphics expert Cicero Moraes digitally rebuilt the man’s face, adding a scar to reflect his known injuries.

The result is a haunting, deeply human portrait of a man feared for 400 years.