Medieval Christian burials in Denmark were likely more influenced by money than supposed outward markers of sin, according to new research that casts doubt on modern assumptions about social stigma during the period.
Today, infectious diseases with highly visible symptoms—such as leprosy—are often assumed to have been strongly stigmatized in medieval Europe as outward evidence of sin. However, burial plots closest to churches, considered the most sacred locations, showed no apparent correlation with disease status, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology.
Medieval Europe Reinvestigated
“When we started this work, I was immediately reminded of the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, specifically the scene with the plague cart,” said lead author Dr. Saige Kelmelis of the University of South Dakota. “I think this image depicts our ideas of how people in the past — and in some cases today — respond to debilitating diseases.”
“However, our study reveals that medieval communities varied in their responses and makeup,” Kelmelis added. “For several communities, those who were sick were buried alongside their neighbors and given the same treatment as anyone else.”
For the study, researchers examined 939 adult skeletons interred across five Danish cemeteries. Initially, they sought to compare urban and rural burial practices using three urban and two rural sites. The researchers hypothesized that high population density and generally poor living conditions in medieval towns would lead to higher rates of leprosy and tuberculosis.
Unearthing Medieval Skeletons
Researchers analyzed the skeletons to determine each individual’s age at death and disease status. The two diseases of primary interest leave distinct markers visible on skeletal remains centuries later. Leprosy can produce lesions on the face along with damage to the hands and feet, while tuberculosis often affects the joints and bones surrounding the lungs.
After completing the skeletal analyses, the team plotted the results onto cemetery maps to identify potential differences between high- and low-status burial areas, typically indicated by proximity to religious buildings.
“There is documentation of individuals being able to pay a fee to have a more privileged place of burial,” explained Kelmelis. “In life, these folks — benefactors, knights, and clergy — were also likely able to use their wealth to secure closer proximity to divinity, such as having a pew closer to the front of the church.”
Unexpected Results
Unexpectedly, the researchers found no consistent correlation between disease and burial status. The lone exception was the urban cemetery at Ribe. Interestingly, it was not leprosy but tuberculosis that appeared associated with burial location. At Ribe, about 12% of individuals buried in monastery or church-adjacent plots showed signs of tuberculosis, compared with roughly one-third of those in lower-status burial areas. The researchers believe this difference likely reflects variations in living conditions and exposure rather than deliberate burial segregation.
A notable proportion of burials across all cemeteries showed evidence of tuberculosis, with 51% of individuals buried at Drotten displaying signs of the disease. Overall, the study challenges the assumption that medieval communities universally ostracized visibly ill individuals. However, the researchers caution that the sample includes only five cemeteries and relies on strict skeletal diagnostic criteria, which may miss cases that left fewer physical traces.
“Individuals may have been carrying the bacteria but died before it could show up in the skeleton,” cautioned Kelmelis. “Unless we can include genomic methods, we may not know the full extent of how these diseases affected past communities.”
The paper, “Closer to Godliness: A Contextual Study of Osteoarchaeological and Spatial Patterns of Diseased Individuals in Medieval Danish Cemeteries,” appeared in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology on February 12, 2026.
Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf.