Alleged vampire skeleton unearthed in Bulgaria

(14 Jun 2012) A centuries-old skeleton which Bulgarian archaeologists claim was treated for vampirism is going on display at the National History Museum in Sofia on Saturday.
The skeleton, buried over 700 years ago and found with evidence of multiple stabbing to his chest and stomach, will be on display inside a special glass case, the head of the National History Museum in the Bulgarian capital Bozhidar Dimitrov said.
Archaeologists two weeks ago said they unearthed ancient skeletons pinned down through their chests with iron rods - a practice believed to stop the dead from becoming vampires.
According to Dimitrov, two skeletons from the Middle Ages were found in such a state last month near the Black Sea town of Sozopol.
Dimitrov has said that corpses were regularly treated in such a way before being buried in some parts of Bulgaria, even until the beginning of the last century.
Widespread superstition led to iron rods being hammered through the chest bones and hearts of those who did evil during their lifetimes for fear they would return after death to feast on the blood of the living.
"At that time people believed that after death their souls would go up to Heaven to rest in peace, but they didn't believe in Hell," Dimitrov explained.
"The souls of bad and evil people were believed to stay in their dead bodies and remain in torment in their graves. Some of the most evil were believed to come out of their graves at night as vampires and interestingly they would seek to suck the blood of animals first and then people, according to popular belief," he added.

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