Early medieval stone-lined graves in Southern Germany: analysis of an emerging noble class.

Objectives: Stone-lined graves, which first appear in Bavarian territory during the 7 century AD, are assumed to be tombs of emerging nobility. While previous research on stone-lined grave goods supports their status as elite burials, an important factor defining nobility-kinship-has not been examined so far.

Materials And Methods: Morphological analysis of the commingled skeletal remains of 21 individuals from three archaeological sites was carried out.