Medieval babies and adults buried together in Sweden were not related, archaeologists discover — raising big questions about early Christian burial practices

livescience - In an unexpected discovery, researchers found that three medieval Swedish cemeteries held children buried with unrelated adults.

AI Summary: Archaeological and genetic analyses reveal medieval Swedish burial patterns that placed infants and children alongside unrelated adults, including female infants buried among men. The findings challenge assumptions about kinship‑based internment and suggest shifting funerary practices during early Christianization, prompting fresh questions about social identity and ritual in the period.