The extreme nature of top 10 bizarre witch burials reveals just how deep society’s dread of sorcery runs—right down to the way the dead were interred. From nails driven through jaws to bodies facedown in the earth, these graves show that fear didn’t stop at death. The label “witch” was often a political weapon, a convenient scapegoat for any misfortune, disease, or deformity that locals couldn’t explain. Many of the individuals labeled as witches suffered from physical abnormalities, underscoring a historic prejudice against anyone who didn’t fit the norm.
top 10 bizarre Overview
Below, we travel across centuries and continents to uncover ten of the most unsettling and fascinating burial practices tied to alleged witches. Each entry is packed with archaeological detail, cultural context, and a dash of mystery.
10 Nailed Witch
In 2011, a team of archaeologists digging in a sun‑kissed corner of Tuscany uncovered the skeletal remains of a woman whose jawbone had been pierced by seven iron nails. The site had already earned a reputation as a witches’ burial ground after a prior find of a female skeleton clutching 17 dice—an activity that was forbidden for women eight centuries earlier. Both victims appeared to be in their mid‑twenties and were laid to rest in shallow pits without coffins, shrouds, or any sign of a proper Christian burial. Around the jaw, thirteen additional nails were arranged in a way that likely anchored her clothing, preventing any post‑mortem movement.
The presence of the nails suggests that the community feared the woman might rise and unleash curses from beyond the grave. By nailing her jaw shut, they hoped to silence any potential incantations. The most puzzling aspect is that these suspected witches were buried within consecrated ground, a practice that ran contrary to the burial customs of the period, raising questions about the interplay between fear, superstition, and religious law.
9 Rita Of Rollright
In 2015, an eager treasure‑hunter stumbled upon the remains of a 1,400‑year‑old Saxon woman near the ancient Rollright Stones in Warwickshire, England. Local legend claims the stone circle was formed when a witch turned a greedy king and his knights to stone. The skeleton was discovered clutching a small, early‑Saxon religious vessel called a patera, prompting speculation that she was a pagan practitioner. Standing at a modest 150 cm (4 ft 11 in), the petite figure was affectionately nicknamed “Rita” by researchers.
Radiocarbon dating places Rita around AD 600, well after the Neolithic construction of the Rollright site (2500‑2000 BC). Alongside the patera, she was buried with a spindle whorl, a sizable amber bead, and an amethyst‑set silver mount—signs of relatively high status. While Romans originally used pateras for sacred offerings, Rita’s version featured a long, thin handle that differed from typical Roman designs, hinting at a blend of cultural influences.
8 Viking Witch
Archaeologists in 2013 identified a striking metal object from a ninth‑century Viking woman’s grave as a magical wand. The 90‑cm (35‑inch) curved rod had been part of the British Museum’s collection since 1894, originally thought to be a cooking spit or a fishing implement. The grave, located in Norway’s Romsdal region, revealed the artifact alongside a whalebone plaque, suggesting the woman enjoyed a high social standing.
Scholars now believe the rod was a tool for seiðr—the Norse form of sorcery that was predominantly practiced by women. The wand would have been used for divination and spell‑casting. Notably, the metal bar appears deliberately bent before burial, a common Viking custom meant to “deactivate” objects, ensuring they could not be used in the afterlife.
7 Grave Of The Last Scottish Witch
In 2014, a team of researchers uncovered what is believed to be the final resting place of Scotland’s last alleged witch on a beach at Torryburn. In the early 1700s, Lilias Adie was accused of spreading disease among her neighbours. After her arrest, she confessed to having made a pact with the Devil, naming him as both lover and master. Before a formal trial and execution could take place, Adie died in prison and was interred beneath a heavy stone slab.
Scottish folklore held that those who were executed or who took their own lives could return as malevolent spirits. To prevent such hauntings, heavy stones were often placed on graves. Archaeologists discovered a sizable slab with a socket for an iron ring, confirming the burial method. In the 19th century, grave robbers looted the site, selling any remains as antiquities. Without a full excavation, it remains uncertain how much of Adie’s story survives beneath the stone.
6 Witch Of Tiree
Archaeologists working on the Scottish island of Tiree in 2015 uncovered a mysterious burial that would later be dubbed the “Witch of Tiree.” The woman suffered from severe vitamin‑D deficiency, making this the earliest known case of rickets in the British Isles. Estimated to be between 25 and 30 years old, she stood only 145 cm (4 ft 9 in), markedly shorter than the contemporary average of 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) for women.
Radiocarbon dating places her life between 3340 and 3090 BC. Analysis suggests she lived locally but avoided fish—a primary source of dietary vitamin D—implying she spent most of her life indoors. Some scholars argue she may have been born with a genetic form of rickets, but the prevailing view is that prolonged indoor confinement led to her condition. Whether she was a slave, a social outcast, or simply labeled a witch because of her frailty, the evidence points to a community that feared and shunned her.
5 Natufian She‑Shaman
In 2008, a burial site in northern Israel yielded the remains of a woman who lived roughly 12,000 years ago, earning her the title “Natufian She‑Shaman.” Accompanying her were an astonishing array of grave goods: fifty tortoise shells, a leopard pelvis, golden eagle wings, cow tails, two marten skulls, a wild boar forearm, and even a human foot. The woman was about 45 years old and bore a spinal deformation that caused her to limp, often dragging one foot.
Ten hefty stones were placed atop her body, possibly to deter animals—or perhaps to keep her spirit confined within the grave. Scholars believe she served as a spiritual leader for the Natufian culture, which existed from 15,000 to 11,500 years ago and is thought to be the world’s first sedentary society, bridging the gap between foraging and agriculture. The eclectic assortment of animal parts suggests she was believed to possess a deep, perhaps mystical, connection to the animal kingdom.
4 Scurvy Witch
In 2014, archaeologists uncovered the grave of a 13‑year‑old girl in the San Calocero complex near Albenga, Northern Italy. She was buried facedown—a practice rooted in the belief that the soul exits the body through the mouth, and a prone burial would prevent an impure spirit from rising to menace the living. Her interment was deeper than those of other bodies and situated in a secluded part of the cemetery typically reserved for the elite.
Osteological analysis revealed she stood under 152 cm (5 ft 0 in) and died from severe vitamin‑C deficiency, a condition known as scurvy. Her bones displayed pronounced anemia, and historical accounts suggest she may have exhibited pale skin, protruding eyes, bleeding limbs, and a characteristic “frog‑leg” posture—symptoms that could also accompany epileptic seizures. Misunderstood by her community, she was feared and buried in the most humiliating fashion known at the time.
3 Rebecca Nurse Graveyard
Danvers, Massachusetts, hosts the Rebecca Nurse Homestead and Graveyard, a site that also marks the burial of a victim of the infamous Salem witch hysteria. In 1692, the Putnam family accused the 71‑year‑old Rebecca Nurse of witchcraft amid a land dispute. Although a jury initially found her innocent, a judge’s urging led the community to overturn the verdict, sentencing her to death. Nurse was hanged on July 19, 1692, and initially buried in unconsecrated ground near the gallows.
Under cover of night, her family exhumed the body and provided a proper burial on their own land. At that time, Danvers was still known as Salem Village. Curiously, the graves of most of the 19 victims of the Salem witch trials have been lost to history; only two are known, leaving the burial sites of 17 victims unaccounted for.
2 Vampire Of Venice
In 2009, Italian archaeologists excavating a 16th‑century mass grave of plague victims near Venice uncovered a woman whose mouth had been forced open with a brick. This gruesome practice—placing objects in the mouths of the dead—was intended to stop the corpse from harming the living, a fear that persisted during the plague era. The remains earned the moniker “Vampire of Venice,” as locals likely blamed her for spreading disease.
Stable isotope analysis indicated a diet dominated by vegetables and grains, suggesting a lower‑class status. Experts estimate she was between 60 and 70 years old. Medieval superstition held that witches could cheat death, and her advanced age made her an easy target for accusations. She is one of the many thousands of women executed during the European witch hunts between 1550 and 1650.
1 Nunnery Witch
During a 2015 excavation of a medieval Benedictine nunnery in Oxford, archaeologists uncovered a series of “very unusual burials.” Among the discoveries were the remains of a leper, a victim of violent death, and a stillborn child. The most puzzling find, however, was a young woman interred facedown—a burial position traditionally reserved for those accused of witchcraft. Adding to the oddity, her lower legs had been removed to make space for a baby burial, a rarity in a monastic setting.
Littlemore Priory, founded in 1110, was riddled with scandal before its dissolution in 1525. Historical records from 1517 describe prioress Katherine Wells allegedly bearing a child with a priest from Kent, while a 1518 account accused her of “playing and romping” with boys. Seven years later, Cardinal Wolsey ordered the priory’s closure, an action many believe was politically motivated to serve King Henry VIII’s interests.
Adding a modern twist, Geordie McElroy—dubbed the “Indiana Jones of folk music” by TimeOut.com—has spent years hunting spell songs, incantations, and arcane melodies for institutions like the Smithsonian and Sony Music Group. McElroy also fronts the LA‑based band Blackwater Jukebox, further cementing his reputation as a leading authority on occult music.