True origin of ‘first black Briton’ revealed

Scientists have shed light on the true origins of the so-called “first black Briton.”

The skeletal remains, which date back to Roman times, were previously thought to belong to a woman from the sub-Saharan region.

This led to her being dubbed “one of the first Africans in Britain”.

But scientists have now said they can find no DNA evidence indicating he had recent African ancestry.

They detailed in a paper published online Wednesday that he actually had a strong genetic similarity to individuals from rural Britain.

He probably had blue eyes, pale to dark skin and light hair, the scientists added.

A craniofacial reconstruction of the ancient skeleton had previously depicted her with curly black hair, brown eyes, and dark skin.

The skeleton was first discovered in 2012 in a box in the basement of Eastbourne Town Hall in East Sussex.

The only information about the remains was a label that read ‘Beachy Head (1959)’, earning her the nickname “Beachy Head Lady” after the beautiful location.

Multiple attempts were subsequently made to establish his geographical origins and ancestry.

The initial assessment that suggested it was of recent sub-Saharan origin was originally based on an analysis of its skull conducted in 2013, the scientists said.

“The discovery of the ‘first black Briton we know of’ gained traction in various media outlets, non-fiction books, educational resources and academic publications,” they wrote in the article.

However, this interpretation began to change, the scientists added.

Other scientists later suggested that Beachy Head Lady may have grown up around Eastbourne, but been born in Cyprus.

“Although these preliminary results were not published in a scientific journal, they were subsequently reported in the media,” the paper’s authors said.

The scientists’ latest discovery is based on “high-quality” DNA data made possible by recent advances in science and technology.

The skeleton is radiocarbon dated between 129 and 311 AD

Beachy Head Lady is believed to have been between 18 and 25 years old when she died and was approximately 5 feet (1.52 m) tall.

Scientists have said they cannot determine the cause of his death.

They cited evidence that fish had been an important component of their diet, consistent with life on the coast.

The paper, titled “Beachy Head Woman: Clarifying Her Origins Using a Multiproxy Biomolecular and Anthropological Approach,” was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

It was written by a team from the Natural History Museum, University College London, Heritage Eastbourne, the University of Reading and Liverpool John Moores University.