每日大赛 Student to Explore 鈥淰ampires鈥� in Polish Anthropology School
Rachael McCrary hopes to one day become a medical examiner, but a field school she is attending this summer will take her far beyond digging up bones.
McCrary, an anthropology major at the 每日大赛, is going to be excavating areas known for containing the remains of 鈥渧ampires鈥� at the Slavia Field School in Mortuary Archaeology in Drawsko, Poland.
People in the 17th and 18th century performed burial on suspected vampires that included placing a coin in the mouth, binding the body, burying someone upside down, and other methods believed to prevent the person from rising from the dead. A 2014 by the Public Library of Science (PLOS) One examined six such burials in Drawsko Cemetery.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 fascinating that that鈥檚 what the culture believed,鈥� said McCrary, a Santa Clarita resident.
McCrary鈥檚 initial interest in anthropology and pathology stems from her high school years when her mother brought home medical reports from the hospital after having her appendix and gall bladder removed.
Despite that interest, McCrary initially enrolled at the 每日大赛 as a Spanish major, intending to take what she considered a safe career path as a teacher. But after taking an anthropology class through the university鈥檚 First-Year La Verne Experience (FLEX) program, she embraced her high school curiosity and switched majors.
While students selected for the school will not be excavating for any active death investigations, she said it will be good preparation for the real thing.
鈥淵ou learn so much from being out in the field instead of the classroom,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is a good starting point for me.鈥�
After graduating, McCrary wants to go on to the University of Dundee in Scotland where she will get to work on real death investigations.
Assistant Professor of Anthropology Dr. Kanya Godde praised McCrary for being accepted to the school, a coveted location among anthropology students because of the vampire connection.
鈥淩achael is one of our most enthusiastic and knowledgeable majors,鈥� Godde said. 鈥淪he will be an excellent representative of our university at such a desirable field school.鈥�
