Recent research from the University of Ferrara reveals that darker skin tones were the norm in Europe for about 96% of its inhabited history. DNA evidence indicates that as recently as 1,700 years ago, lighter complexions were not prevalent, even during the Roman Empire. A new map illustrates how skin color proportions changed over 45,000 years, showing that light skin emerged in Sweden but remained uncommon until the Copper and Bronze Ages. The shift to lighter skin was not uniform across Europe, with many areas continuing to have significant dark pigmentation well into the Iron Age.
The shift towards lighter pigmentations turned out to be all but linear in time and place, and slower than expected, researchers noted based on ancient genomes.
Researchers at the University of Ferrara assert that darker complexions were the norm throughout Europe for the vast majority of its inhabited history, preceding lighter skin.
Collection
[
|
...
]