Abstract
Anthropology The organization of Early Medieval cemeteries of the Alemanni, a Germanic tribe, is thought to be based on households. However, specific kinship relationships between individuals found in these cemeteries have not been tested formally. O'Sullivan et al. examined 13 individuals from the Niederstotzingen cemetery in southern Germany using ancient DNA. The strontium and oxygen isotope content of their dental enamel revealed that, whereas five of the individuals were second-degree relatives born in the region, two others were of nonlocal origin. Thus, other social processes, such as personal fealty to powerful families, might also have influenced the composition of these cemeteries. Sci. Adv. 10.1126/sciadv.aao1262 (2018).
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