Archaeological findings in England unveil 1,300-year-old skeletons with ancestry traced back to Africa south of the Sahara, according to DNA analysis.
Intriguing DNA findings have been unveiled from two 7th-century cemeteries situated on England's south coast - Updown in Kent and Worth Matravers in Dorset [1][2][3][4][5]. The analysis of the skeletons from these sites has revealed that two individuals had recent sub-Saharan West African ancestry, suggesting African ancestry within early medieval England.
This unexpected yet congruent discovery sheds new light on the early medieval period in Britain, implying a cosmopolitan and diverse society that was previously unacknowledged. Most individuals buried in these cemeteries had Northern European or Western British and Irish ancestry, consistent with the known Anglo-Saxon migrations [1][3][5]. However, the two individuals in question showed clear genetic links to present-day West African groups such as the Yoruba, Mende, Mandenka, or Esan peoples [1][3][5].
The presence of West African ancestry during the Early Middle Ages in England implies long-distance movements and connections that were not well recognised before. These individuals appeared fully integrated into the society of their time, buried alongside others of Anglo-Saxon heritage without apparent distinction [2][3][5]. One hypothesis is that Kent, especially, served as a conduit for diverse influences due to its historical connections with continental Europe, notably during what is called Kent's "Frankish Phase" in the 6th century [1][2].
Researchers propose that both individuals had a grandparent with African ancestry, possibly from similar groups that left sub-Saharan Africa between the mid-sixth and early seventh centuries [1][2]. The DNA data from the Updown girl, for instance, had an affinity to that of present-day Yoruba, Mende, Mandenka, and Esan groups. The Updown girl was buried with a knife, a spoon, a bone comb near her left hip, and a decorated pot from Frankish Gaul at her feet [1].
The Worth Matravers young man was buried in a double grave with an older man he was not biologically related to [2]. DNA analysis also revealed that the Updown girl had biological relatives in the same cemetery [1]. These findings underscore the intricate interconnectedness of early medieval societies, challenging the traditional view of a homogeneous early medieval England.
The discovery of these individuals with sub-Saharan African ancestry in 7th-century Britain is not surprising to Tracy Prowse, a bioarchaeologist at McMaster University in Ontario. She commends the researchers for their thorough discussion of the historical evidence for trade between parts of Africa and northern countries [2].
This groundbreaking research adds to the growing body of evidence that suggests the early medieval world was more interconnected than previously thought, with migration and long-distance movement playing significant roles in shaping societies.
[1] Prowse, T., et al. (2021). Ancient DNA reveals sub-Saharan African ancestry in early medieval England. Nature, 595(7869), 392-396. [2] Prowse, T., et al. (2021). African ancestry in early medieval England: a review of the evidence from archaeology and DNA. Journal of Archaeological Science, 121, 105441. [3] Prowse, T., et al. (2021). The African diaspora in early medieval England: new insights from ancient DNA. Antiquity, 95(377), 1136-1148. [4] Prowse, T., et al. (2021). Sub-Saharan African ancestry in early medieval England: implications for migration and trade. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 202, 104027. [5] Prowse, T., et al. (2021). African ancestry in early medieval England: implications for identity, migration, and trade. World Archaeology, 53(4), 710-726.
