curved iron sickle from Grave 75

Study Examines Unusual 17th-Century Burial in Pień, Poland

A multidisciplinary study of Grave 75 at a cemetery in Pień examines the remains of a woman who died at about 17–19 years old. A sickle placed across her neck and a padlock fixed to her toe suggest measures intended to prevent the dead from returning, although researchers frame the burial within historical beliefs and social fears.