These medieval graves looked like family burials. DNA told a different story

Ancient DNA shows that adults and children buried together in medieval Sweden were often not members of the same immediate family, suggesting that burial choices reflected more than biological kinship. The research also revealed early gender-based burial customs and uncovered the remarkable story of a young woman who may have completed a pilgrimage across Europe. These medieval graves looked like family burials. DNA told a different story.

DNA told a different story Date: September 26, 2026. New research from Stockholm University, published in Science Advances, suggests that was often not the case. Scientists analyzed DNA from 142 people who lived during the late Viking Age and Middle Ages.

The group included more than 60 children and adolescents recovered from multiple graves at Sigtuna, near Stockholm, Västerhus in Jämtland, and Fjälkinge in Skåne. Shared Graves Were Often Not Family Graves The genetic evidence revealed that close biological relatives were surprisingly uncommon among people placed in the same grave.