Does Health Define Deviancy?

Abstract

The post-medieval cemetery site Drawsko 1 located in western Poland has yielded several unusual burials with anti-vampire mortuary treatments. There are many possible reasons why these individuals received atypical mortuary treatment, including health problems such as birth defects, disease, and violent injuries. A sample of approximately 300 adult individuals (>18 years) from Drawsko 1, including five “vampire” burials, was analyzed for the presence of various health-related conditions, such as traumatic injuries, infectious disease, stress markers, and dietary deficiency. The deviant and normative burials were compared for the prevalence of each specific condition. Results (Fisher’s exact, p<0.05) suggest that based on these indicators, health-related conditions do not account for the atypical treatment of the “vampire” burials. Instead, deviancy was likely culturally defined and mediated rather than biologically determined.