More than 100 graves showing skeletons with stakes through the hearts and mutilated bones have been uncovered in a 7000-year-old town in Bulgaria, the Daily Beast reports.
An article titled "Bulgaria's Vampire Graveyards" is referring to the "vampireburial" uncovered at the site of Perperikon (and not "Thracian" as in the text), an ancient Thracian town that has become a major tourist destination over the years.
A skeleton which has a partially crushed skull and a round stake appearing from the left side of the skeleton's chest shows the man underwent a "post-death" mutilation that included the removal of the lower half of his leg.
The aim was to stop the man, deemed "a vampire", from returning back to life.
People who died from certain ailments were believed in the past to be able to become "vampires" in the afterlife, returning to prey upon the population.
Archaeologist Nikolay Ovcharov is quoted as saying a number of skeletons have been found with metal rings pinning the bodies down in graves covered in heavy stones.
Incapacitation was another measure preventing the buried to rise from the dead.
Last year Ovcharov argued "many" in Bulgaria continued the practice as recently as 25 years ago.
Romania and Bulgaria "have born the brunt of the attention" about vempires to the extent that "certain towns have begun to market themselves as part of a "vampire trail" for curious visitors."
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
Romanian media outlets have reported that storm "Renata" has made landfall in Romania, bringing with it strong winds and heavy precipitation. Following two weeks of record high temperatures, the mercury has plummeted by 15-20 degrees Celsius, as reported
In a momentous occasion marking the entry of Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen area by air and sea, Balchik Airport is set to witness a remarkable gathering of more than 20 planes from Romania
The Romanian parliament has voted to impose stringent restrictions on the gambling sector, marking a significant shift in the country's regulatory landscape
As tensions simmer in the Black Sea region, NATO's multinational exercise "Sea Shield" commences today, drawing more than 2,200 military personnel from Romania and allied nations
The entry of Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen area by air and sea is anticipated to have a significant impact on tourism, with experts predicting a substantial increase in visitor numbers
Brazen Bulgarian gangs "terrorise the elderly and rob them over their life savings with increasingly aggressive phone scams nettling millions of euros," according to an AFP story.
The prospect of US President Donald Trump's moving closer to Russia has scrambled the strategy of "balancing East and West" used for decades by countries like Bulgaria, the New York Times says.
Bulgarians have benefited a lot from their EU membership, with incomes rising and Brussels overseeing politicians, according to a New York Times piece.
The truth about Bulgaria and Moldova's presidential elections is "more complicated" and should not be reduced to pro-Russian candidates winning, the Economist says.
President-elect Rumen Radev "struck a chord with voters by attacking the status quo and stressing issues like national security and migration," AFP agency writes after the presidential vote on Sunday.
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022
Bulgaria news
Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News."
Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria.
Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper.
News Bulgaria