Posted on 12/21/2025 7:45:48 AM PST by SunkenCiv
A woman long believed to be the 'first Black Briton' was in fact white and had local ancestry from southern England, according to a new genetic study that overturns more than a decade of public perception.
For years, scientists believed the woman, known as the Beachy Head Woman, came from sub-Saharan Africa. Her remains were discovered near the cliffs of Beachy Head in East Sussex and were widely presented as early evidence of African presence in Roman Britain...
Her remains were first rediscovered in 2012 in Eastbourne Town Hall, stored in a box suggesting they were originally excavated in the 1950s. At the time, the well-preserved condition of the skeleton led to a facial reconstruction by Professor Caroline Wilkinson of Dundee University, whose assessment, along with two other specialists, supported the African origin theory.
That interpretation began to shift in 2017 when unpublished genetic data hinted she might have come from the Mediterranean, possibly Cyprus. The latest findings now clarify her origin as local to Britain, with researchers confirming she likely lived and grew up around Eastbourne...
Radiocarbon dating places her death between 129 and 311 AD during the Roman occupation. She was estimated to be between 18 and 25 years old and stood just over 4 feet 9 inches tall. A healed leg wound indicates she survived a significant injury, and bone analysis shows a diet rich in seafood...
Although no burial site or grave goods were found, researchers believe she may have had social standing, possibly connected to a Roman villa or trade networks in the region. Her lack of physical signs of labor supports this theory.
(Excerpt) Read more at greekreporter.com ...
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The best escaped, were expelled, and then sent off to die in endless wars.
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