Medieval villagers mutilated the dead to stop them rising, study finds

Archaeological research may represent first scientific evidence of English practices attempting to protect the living from the dead

A study by archaeologists has revealed certain people in medieval Yorkshire were so afraid of the dead they chopped, smashed and burned their skeletons to make sure they stayed in their graves.

The research published by Historic England and the University of Southampton may represent the first scientific evidence in England of attempts to prevent the dead from walking and harming the living - still common in folklore in many parts of the world.