Beachy Head Woman may be local girl from Eastbourne', say scientists

"Beachy Head Woman, a Roman-era skeleton once hailed as the earliest known black Briton and who scientists later speculated could be of Cypriot descent, has now been shown to have originated from southern England. The mystery of the skeleton's shifting identity was finally resolved after advances in DNA sequencing produced a high quality genetic readout from the remains."

"Previously, forensic anthropologists had suggested that the woman may have been of sub-Saharan Africa origin based on an analysis of the skull and, in 2016, a plaque was erected to to commemorate the first black Briton. Doubts about this theory emerged when an initial DNA analysis pointed to Cyprus as a more likely origin, although this result was not conclusive."

"The skeletal remains were uncovered in 2012 in the collections of Eastbourne town hall, with details on the box she was found inside suggesting the skeleton had been found at the nearby headland, Beachy Head, in the 1950s. Radiocarbon dating showed the woman died between 129 and 311AD, corresponding to the Roman occupation of Britain. Analysis of her skeletal remains suggest she was about 18 to 25 years old when she died and stood at just over 4.9ft tall."

Advances in DNA sequencing produced a high-quality genetic readout showing that the Beachy Head Woman originated from southern England. The skeletal remains were found in 2012 in Eastbourne town hall collections in a box indicating discovery at Beachy Head in the 1950s. Radiocarbon dating places the death between 129 and 311AD, during the Roman occupation of Britain. Skeletal analysis indicates an individual aged about 18 to 25 who stood just over 4.9ft tall and bore a healed leg wound from a serious but non-fatal injury. Dietary isotope values point to substantial seafood consumption and local residence. Initial skull morphometry suggested sub-Saharan African origin and prompted a 2016 commemorative plaque; an earlier DNA result hinted at Cyprus but was inconclusive.

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