DNA analysis shows medieval shared graves were often not family burials

September 26, 2026 at 05:00 AM2 min

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DNA analysis of 142 individuals from late Viking Age and medieval Scandinavia found that adults and children buried together were often not close biological relatives. The study, led by Stockholm University and published in Science Advances, challenges the assumption that shared graves indicate family ties. Researchers also found that children's burial customs mirrored adult gender patterns, suggesting early recognition of gender identity.

Key Facts

Researchers analyzed DNA from 142 individuals from Sigtuna, Västerhus, and Fjälkinge, including more than 60 children and adolescents.
Close biological relatives were uncommon among people buried in the same grave, even in cemeteries with many family connections in the wider population.
At Västerhus, boys and girls were buried on the same sides of the churchyard as adult men and women, respectively.
The study was published in Science Advances by researchers from Stockholm University's Centre for Palaeogenetics.

Genetic Findings

The genetic evidence revealed that close biological relatives were surprisingly uncommon among people placed in the same grave. This was true even in cemeteries where researchers found many biological family connections among the wider population. Maja Krzewińska, lead author from the Centre for Palaeogenetics at Stockholm University, stated that in most cases adults and children sharing a grave were not parents and children or other close family members. The findings indicate that decisions about who was buried together were often shaped by social, religious, or other community factors rather than close biological relationships.

Child Burial Customs

Ancient DNA allowed researchers to determine the biological sex of children whose remains were too young for sex to be identified reliably from their bones. The burial patterns showed that boys and girls often followed the same cemetery customs as adult men and women. At Västerhus, men and women were generally buried on different sides of the churchyard, and boys and girls were placed according to that same pattern. Anders Götherström, Professor of Molecular Archaeology at Stockholm University, said that children were not treated as a separate category but according to the same social and religious principles as adults.

A Reconstructed Family

Among the people buried at Västerhus, researchers reconstructed the story of a notable family. A woman identified as Lady 56 was genetically connected to several other people buried in the churchyard.