Ancient DNA from 142 medieval Scandinavian burials shows adults and children were often not family, upending a long-held graveyard assumption
For centuries, archaeologists have interpreted shared graves in medieval cemeteries as evidence of close family relationships. When an adult and a child were discovered buried together, it was generally assumed that they were a parent and child, siblings, or other close relatives. These assumptions shaped the understanding of medieval society, suggesting that biological family ties determined who was laid to rest together. However, ancient DNA analysis is revealing a more complex picture of medieval communities .
According to a study published in Science Advances, ancient DNA analysis of 142 individuals buried in medieval Scandinavian cemeteries revealed that many adults and children interred together were not close biological relatives. The findings challenge the long-held assumption that shared graves primarily contained family members and instead suggest that social, religious, and cultural relationships often played a greater role in determining burial practices.
Ancient DNA reveals unexpected burial patterns
According to Stockholm University, DNA sequencing was conducted on skeletal bones found in three medieval cemeteries in Sweden , dated between the 10th and 14th centuries. The study used ancient DNA sequencing to examine genetic ties among 142 individuals buried in groups. It was assumed that individuals buried in the same grave would be related to each other.
However, the results surprised the researchers. A lot of adults and children buried side by side proved to be unrelated. There were some graves where biological relatives were found; however, their number was much smaller compared to what archaeologists had assumed. In many cases, women were buried with young girls or men with young boys, but DNA testing showed they were not relatives.
It shows how useful ancient DNA is becoming in archaeological science. For many years in the past, interpretations of burial sites have been based mainly on the location of the graves, the orientation of the skeletons, and the presence of associated objects. While these are still very important, the use of genetics enables researchers to test assumptions directly instead of having to depend on indirect evidence.
Instead of burying family members in the same grave, the community used to bury them individually, but at the same cemetery. This suggests that some burial practices may have extended beyond household ties.
Religion and community may have shaped burial customs
The study focuses on a period when Christianity had become firmly established in Scandinavia , bringing significant changes to burial practices. Christian cemeteries followed standardised customs, with graves typically aligned east to west and the deceased buried with few or no grave goods. Burial traditions also determined who could be interred in consecrated ground, reflecting the growing influence of Christian beliefs on medieval funeral practices.
The researchers suggest that this may have been responsible for unrelated persons sharing the same graves. Communities during the medieval period tended to emphasise spiritual affiliations, household belonging, and communal relations in addition to blood relations.
According to the above study, the genetic evidence suggests that medieval burial practices were influenced by broader social and cultural relationships rather than biological family ties. One possible explanation involves the burial of infants. Historical evidence indicates that babies who died before baptism may have occupied a unique social and religious position within medieval communities. Researchers suggest that these infants were sometimes buried alongside baptised adults, allowing them to be interred within consecrated ground despite the religious restrictions that existed at the time.
There may also have been practical reasons for such graves. For example, in Scandinavia in winter, it was difficult to dig graves in frosty ground. So, people who died in a certain period of time were buried in the same place after the soil thawed. This could lead to common graves without implying biological relation.
These findings may prompt historians to rethink what medieval cemeteries reveal. Instead of viewing them simply as collections of family plots, archaeologists increasingly recognise them as records of broader social structures where religious identity, household membership, and community belonging shaped burial decisions.
Rewriting the story of medieval society
In addition to providing new insight into changing beliefs about funerals and burials, this research provides further implications regarding medieval society itself. Family was important in medieval society, but the research also points to other bonds, such as work, religion, fosterage, and social obligation. The research also highlights the growing importance of ancient DNA in archaeology. In just the last ten years, advances in DNA extraction and sequencing have allowed the scientific community to ask questions they could not even think about asking before. Scientists can now map family trees, migrations, diseases, and lifestyles from hundreds or even thousands of years ago.
According to a study published in Science Advances, ancient DNA analysis of 142 individuals buried in medieval Scandinavian cemeteries revealed that many adults and children interred together were not close biological relatives. The findings challenge the long-held assumption that shared graves primarily contained family members and instead suggest that social, religious, and cultural relationships often played a greater role in determining burial practices.
Ancient DNA reveals unexpected burial patterns
According to Stockholm University, DNA sequencing was conducted on skeletal bones found in three medieval cemeteries in Sweden , dated between the 10th and 14th centuries. The study used ancient DNA sequencing to examine genetic ties among 142 individuals buried in groups. It was assumed that individuals buried in the same grave would be related to each other.
However, the results surprised the researchers. A lot of adults and children buried side by side proved to be unrelated. There were some graves where biological relatives were found; however, their number was much smaller compared to what archaeologists had assumed. In many cases, women were buried with young girls or men with young boys, but DNA testing showed they were not relatives.
It shows how useful ancient DNA is becoming in archaeological science. For many years in the past, interpretations of burial sites have been based mainly on the location of the graves, the orientation of the skeletons, and the presence of associated objects. While these are still very important, the use of genetics enables researchers to test assumptions directly instead of having to depend on indirect evidence.
Instead of burying family members in the same grave, the community used to bury them individually, but at the same cemetery. This suggests that some burial practices may have extended beyond household ties.
Religion and community may have shaped burial customs
The study focuses on a period when Christianity had become firmly established in Scandinavia , bringing significant changes to burial practices. Christian cemeteries followed standardised customs, with graves typically aligned east to west and the deceased buried with few or no grave goods. Burial traditions also determined who could be interred in consecrated ground, reflecting the growing influence of Christian beliefs on medieval funeral practices.
The researchers suggest that this may have been responsible for unrelated persons sharing the same graves. Communities during the medieval period tended to emphasise spiritual affiliations, household belonging, and communal relations in addition to blood relations.
According to the above study, the genetic evidence suggests that medieval burial practices were influenced by broader social and cultural relationships rather than biological family ties. One possible explanation involves the burial of infants. Historical evidence indicates that babies who died before baptism may have occupied a unique social and religious position within medieval communities. Researchers suggest that these infants were sometimes buried alongside baptised adults, allowing them to be interred within consecrated ground despite the religious restrictions that existed at the time.
There may also have been practical reasons for such graves. For example, in Scandinavia in winter, it was difficult to dig graves in frosty ground. So, people who died in a certain period of time were buried in the same place after the soil thawed. This could lead to common graves without implying biological relation.
These findings may prompt historians to rethink what medieval cemeteries reveal. Instead of viewing them simply as collections of family plots, archaeologists increasingly recognise them as records of broader social structures where religious identity, household membership, and community belonging shaped burial decisions.
In addition to providing new insight into changing beliefs about funerals and burials, this research provides further implications regarding medieval society itself. Family was important in medieval society, but the research also points to other bonds, such as work, religion, fosterage, and social obligation. The research also highlights the growing importance of ancient DNA in archaeology. In just the last ten years, advances in DNA extraction and sequencing have allowed the scientific community to ask questions they could not even think about asking before. Scientists can now map family trees, migrations, diseases, and lifestyles from hundreds or even thousands of years ago.
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