Disputed claims about the origins of the Roman-era ‘Beachy Head Woman’ have been resolved by new DNA sequencing
Researchers report that the Roman-era skeleton called the “Beachy Head Woman,” previously often referenced as proof of an early black population in Britain, most probably shared genetic heritage with contemporary local groups in southern England.
These results were released on Wednesday in the Journal of Archaeological Science and publicized by the Natural History Museum (NHM). The museum explained that enhanced DNA sequencing and modernized reference data allowed for a re-evaluation of prior conclusions.
The origins of the remains have attracted interest for many years, being re-examined as scientific techniques progressed.
The NHM reports that the skeleton was rediscovered in 2012 within a boxed collection at Eastbourne Town Hall as part of the Eastbourne Ancestors Project. Labels indicated it was originally uncovered near Beachy Head in the 1950s. Initial evaluations using skull morphology led to assertions of sub-Saharan African descent, and the woman was subsequently featured, such as in a 2016 BBC historical program, as the “first black Briton.”
A plaque was later installed to honor this assertion, but it was taken down after a separate study indicated connections to Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean. Those findings were later deemed uncertain, and the NHM states the most recent analysis has corrected the previous interpretations.
The research indicates radiocarbon dating situates the woman’s life between AD 129 and 311, and she was approximately 18 to 25 years old at death. Scientists also applied the fresh genetic information to infer physical characteristics, such as light skin, blue eyes, and fair hair, and have revised a digital facial depiction to match.
Chemical analysis by the NHM points to a diet probably high in seafood, and the bones reveal a healed leg injury from a significant but not life-threatening wound suffered earlier in her life.
Selina Brace, the study’s senior author, noted that technological progress over the last ten years has enabled the generation of “new comprehensive data” to tell more of the Beachy Head Woman’s story.
“It doesn’t alter the story of Britain,” Brace stated. “It just alters her story and we owed it to her to put that right.”