Vampire Folk Belief in Historic New England: The Archaeological Evidence

In 1990 a couple of very surprised young boys discovered two skulls at the site of a new gravel quarry in eastern Connecticut. Dr. Nick Bellantoni, Connecticut’s State Archaeologist, and others were called in to investigate what turned out to be a forgotten colonial family cemetery. One grave in particular caught their eye. Someone had arranged the burial in an unusual way. This led to further investigation involving archaeology, forensics, genealogy, and folklore that produced the theory that the cause for the oddity in the burial was the belief that its occupant was a vampire.  Vampire folklore was rampant in New England from 1780 to the 1890s, and a combination of disciplines helps archaeologists today discover more about this period in New England history. As it turns out, a real public health issue was to blame. Please sign up for this fascinating virtual event below!