In the Polish town of Byin, in the north of the country, an unknown grave was discovered containing the body of a girl, whom the local residents nicknamed Zosia. This young girl was buried with a lock on her leg and an iron collar around her neck to prevent her from returning from the dead. Locals considered Zosia and dozens of other women "vampires", which is why such measures were taken.
In 2022, a team of archaeologists from Niccolo Copernicus University in Torun discovered the body of Zosia. Analysis of the skull showed that she had suffered health issues that caused headaches, seizures, and possibly psychological disorders. To protect from vampires at that time, it was suggested that the collar, lock, and certain wooden objects found in the grave had magical properties.
Zosia was buried in grave 75 at the usual cemetery in Byin. All the signs found with her indicate her belonging to a secured, possibly noble, family. In 17th century Europe, fears and horrors of war, according to Nilsen, intensified myths about supernatural beings.
The process of reconstructing Zosia's face began with the creation of a 3D printed copy of the skull. Layer by layer, clay models were made to create a living face. To determine the traits of Nilsen's face, data about the structure of bones, skin, age, race, and approximate weight were used.
Nilsen noted: "This is an impressively effective thing - to see a face return from the dead, especially knowing the history of this little girl."