A medieval churchyard is a place of Christian ideals and community traditions. Shaded by stately oaks, the moss-covered graves are aligned toward the rising sun, and the deceased, wrapped in simple shrouds, rest peacefully in their graves, in hope of Resurrection and the second coming of Christ. A recent genetic study by bioarchaeologists from Stockholm University, however, adds complexity to the burial practices in medieval Sweden.
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DNA Analysis Shows that Appearances May Be Deceiving
Their analysis of the DNA of 142 individuals buried between the 10th and 14th centuries suggests that appearances can be deceiving. Rather than the ornate tombs of prominent families or plots containing generations of the same family, the cemeteries did not reflect family ties.
“We often assume that adults and children sharing a grave were parents and children or other close family members. In most cases, that was not what we found,” says Maja Krzewińska, Centre for Palaeogenetics, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, lead author of the study.
Historic aerial photograph of the medieval church ruins and cemetery at Västerhus, Frösö Parish, Jämtland, Sweden, before 1951. The cemetery later became one of Scandinavia's most important archaeological and ancient DNA research sites, providing new evidence about medieval burial practices and biological relationships. (Swedish National Heritage Board/ Archive Stockholm University)
Stockholm University Study Focused on Children and Adolescents
Oscar Nilsson collecting information from Lady 56 for the forensic facial reconstruction. (Anders Götherström/ Stockholm University, 2026)
The Stockholm University research team focused on DNA dating from the late Viking Age and the Middle Ages, especially samples from 68 children and adolescents buried in multiple graves at three church sites - Sigtuna, close to Stockholm; Västerhus in Jämtland; and Fjälkinge in Skåne. They were surprised that finding biological relatives in the same grave or nearby was very rare. Even when adults and children were in the same grave, they were not close biologically. Instead, in medieval Sweden, burial practices were less about family connections and more about social connections.
Anna Kjellström, researcher at the Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, maintains that advanced genetic testing technology informs this long-time debate. She says, ”Archaeologists have debated the relationships between people buried together in this type of grave for a long time. Ancient DNA has finally given us the tool we have been waiting for to test these interpretations directly.”
One of the most distinctive aspects of the Stockholm research is its descriptions of children's lives in Scandinavia. In the past, researchers have not been able to determine gender using standard methods. By using ancient DNA, the team could confirm the biological sex of children who were too young to be identified osteologically. Rather than placing children near their parents or in a specific children’s section, boys and girls were placed using the same procedures as for adults. Researchers noted that at the Västerhus site, males and females were buried on opposite sides of the churchyard, regardless of age. According to Anders Götherström, Professor of Molecular Archaeology at the Centre for Palaeogenetics, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, “Children were treated according to the same social and religious principles as adult men and women.”
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One of the pilgrim shells found at the Västerhus cemetery - a site investigated in the study. (Christer Åhlin/Historiska museet, 2012)
Ancient DNA Analysis Overcomes Disadvantages of More Modern Burial Procedures
In the past, analytical studies of tombs or burial sites had the advantage of documenting grave goods or personal possessions that provided clues for archaeologists. Researchers could identify artisans through tools placed in the grave. Animal bones indicated dietary choices, and sediment layers might reveal whether flowers or foods had been placed in the grave as a sign of care during site preparation. Medieval Christians in Sweden during the 10th-12th centuries emphasized simplicity in burials since all Christians were equal before God. Those buried in the sacred ground of the churchyard had been baptized in the church. Unbaptized infants were excluded from churchyard burial. In cases where an unrelated adult was buried with a child, the adult may have served as a symbolic burial companion.
Children belonged to the congregation, and they were considered kindred spirits in Christ rather than blood relations. The meaning of family was broader at this time, so servants, foster children, and extended family members were buried near one another. The team also identified extenuating conditions such as seasonal burials, burials delayed by winter snow, and the need for burial sites when graves were opened in the spring.
Ancient DNA Documents Family Relationships Despite Scattered Burials
Forensic facial reconstruction of one of the key Västerhus individuals analyzed in the study. (Reconstruction and photograph Oscar Nilsson/Stockholm University)
One of the most remarkable discoveries came from a family grave in the Västerhus cemetery. An individual, known as Lady 56, was linked by DNA to other relatives in different parts of the cemetery–parents, brother, and two daughters. Researchers were able to document details of her life beyond Jämtland.
A scallop shell had been placed in her grave. The shell was rare in medieval Sweden. It was a symbol of a religious pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. The shell indicates that Lady 56 had made the famous journey across the continent and returned home. She was under 30 years old at the time of her death.
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Ancient DNA Adds Details to the Historical Record
Ancient DNA can expand archaeologists' work by adding more details to the historical record. The Stockholm study changed assumptions about the positions of the graves in the cemetery. Bioarchaeology can examine relationships across a wider community and challenge traditional views of medieval Europe.
For medieval Christians, the church community was an extended family. An individual was not simply a member of a single family. They were part of the church family, sharing a trade, a mission, a skill, or, like Lady 56, a pilgrimage across the continent.
Top Image: The ruins of the twelfth-century Church of Saint Olof in Sigtuna, Sweden. Dedicated to Saint Olaf of Norway, the church reflects the spread of Romanesque architecture and Christianity throughout medieval Scandinavia. Source: Arild Vagen/CC BY-SA 3.0
By Ramsey Hardin
References
Geggel, Laura. "Medieval Babies and Adults Buried Together in Sweden Were Not Related, Archaeologists Discover—Raising Big Questions About Early Christian Burial Practices." Live Science, July 10, 2026. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/medieval-babies-and-adults-buried-together-in-sweden-were-not-related-archaeologists-discover-raising-big-questions-about-early-christian-burial-practices
Krzewińska, Maja, Anna Kjellström, Reyhan Yaka, Ricardo Rodríguez-Varela, Zoé Pochon, Vendela Kempe Lagerholm, Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, Torun Zachrisson, Natalija Kashuba, Verónica Sobrado, Thijessen Naidoo, Kıvılcım Başak Vural, Mattias Jakobsson, Gülşah Merve Kılınç, Jan Storå, and Anders Götherström. “Equal in Death: Ancient Genomic Analysis of Children's Early Christian Burials.” Science Advances 12, no. 28 (2026): eaeb8588. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb8588
Radley, Dario. "Medieval Adults and Children Buried Together in Sweden Were Rarely Related, DNA Study Finds." Archaeology News, July 11, 2026.https://archaeologymag.com/2026/07/grave-with-close-relatives-was-rare-in-the-middle-ages/
Scott, Anastasia. "Sweden's Medieval Graves Placed Children With Unrelated Adults, Including Infant Girls Buried Among Men." Discover Magazine, July 10, 2026.https://www.discovermagazine.com/sweden-s-medieval-graves-placed-children-with-unrelated-adults-including-infant-girls-buried-among-men-49365
Stockholm University. “Unusual to Share a Grave with Close Relatives in the Middle Ages.” EurekAlert!, July 10, 2026.https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1135466.
