9 techniques villagers used starting in the 14th century to bury people they feared were 'vampires' to keep them from coming back from the dead

• Vampires have haunted nightmares for centuries, even dictating how people buried their dead.
• Archeological digs in recent years have unearthed remains of several so-called vampire burials.
• Here are nine unusual burial techniques researchers believe were motivated by a fear of the dead.

They didn't resemble the blood-sucking cinematic creations of "Twilight" or "Dracula," but vampires — or at least the mythology surrounding them — have haunted people's nightmares for centuries, even dictating how villagers long ago buried their dead.