In 1990, on the outskirts of the town of Griswold, Connecticut (USA) was found unmarked cemetery of the 19th century, consisting of 27 graves. The greatest interest attracted the coffin with the inscription “JB55”, embossed brass nails. Posture and the condition of the remains it was pointed out that this person was buried according to the procedure of “protection from vampires”. Its purpose in those days – not to allow the deceased to return to life as a vampire.

Analysis of the remains revealed that the deceased suffered from tuberculosis, which 200 years ago was called “consumption” and is considered a sign of vampirism. Partly because patients have extremely emaciated and sickly appearance, akin to a “living corpse”, partly because of the high, but unexplained at the time of infectiousness. As a result, there was a superstition that deaths from tuberculosis become vampires, and unable to get up from their graves to infect other family members.

To counter this, apply the “preventive exhumation” – a few days after the burial the body was removed and saw in him signs of “life”. For example, liquid blood, bloated stomach, soft skin. And if found, then beheaded the corpse and burned internal organs, to dead not alive, and that was peredelali with JB55. This was done out of “fear and love”, as a different way to cope with tuberculosis and to protect still-living people did not know.

DNA samples from JB55 was taken back then, almost 30 years ago, but in the absence of a database remained unclaimed. Only recently, researchers from the National Museum of health and medicine, the U.S. was able to trace its origin. The study of DNA has led to the family Barber, and in the newspaper from 1826 there was an obituary in the name of Nathan Barber, son of John Barber of grizvolda. On one of the neighbouring graves were the initials “NB13” and age JB55 at the time of death was set at 55 years. Everything points to the fact that “the vampire of Connecticut” – John Barber. This study was the first of its kind, when the identity of the participant of historical events are established by DNA analysis without the use of samples of his direct descendants, only indirectly.


Source — DOI: Genes