Face Lab / Liverpool John Moores University
Digital image generated from a 3D scan of the Beachy Head Woman’s skull. Skin, hair and eye pigmentation was determined using ancient DNA results.
The identity of an enigmatic skeleton from Roman times, discovered inside a box in the basement of a town hall in southern England, may finally have been clarified.
A new DNA analysis could put an end to a decade-old mystery surrounding the so-called Beachy Head Woman.
Although previous investigations pointed to the possibility that the woman had recent ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa or the Mediterranean, a new study indicates that, most likely, she was from Great Britain itself.
The skeleton, of a young woman from Roman times, became public in 2012, when it was discovered inside a box in the basement of Eastbourne Town Hall, as part of the Eastbourne Ancestors Project.
According to the NHM, a label on the box suggested that the remains had been found near Beachy Head in the 1950sbut details were scarce.
The Beachy Head Woman would arouse public interest when research work suggested she might have recent sub-Saharan ancestry. If this were the case, the skeleton would constitute a early example of African presence in Great Britain.
Further investigations pointed to a possible Mediterranean origin — or even Cypriot. However, this conclusion, never published, was based on poorly preserved DNA, leaving open many doubts about the Beachy Head Woman.
Now, scientists have returned to analyzing the skeleton, with about 2000 years, and its DNA, using new techniques. Second William Marshone of the researchers who analyzed the DNA, it is now more likely that the origins of the Beachy Head Woman are much closer to home.
“With state-of-the-art DNA techniques and recently published genomes, we have determine ancestry Beachy Head Woman with a pmuch higher resolution than the previous one”, explained William.
“We showed that she has a genetic ancestry more similar to that of other individuals in the local population of Great Britain in Roman times”, says the investigator.
Although it is not known for certain where the Beachy Head Woman was buried, carbon dating of her skeleton suggests that she died somewhere between 129 and 311 AD, coinciding with the Roman occupation of Britannia.
Further analysis of the skeleton provided more clues about its life. It would be about 18 to 25 years old when he died and probably measured just over 1.5 meters. There is also a healed injury to a legsuggesting a serious but non-fatal injury that occurred long before death.
The skeleton also gives information about nutrition. Carbon and nitrogen levels in bones, for example, suggest that their diet probably included a considerable amount of marine foods.
The conclusions were presented in an article published on Wednesday in Journal of Archaeological Science. Selina Brace, specialist in ancient DNA at the NHM and lead author of the study, emphasizes that the evolution of history associated with the skeleton reflects the natural process of science.
With the new genetic information, it was also possible to apply modern forensic tools, which allowed the study authors to estimate that the young woman had probablyfair skin, blue eyes and light hair. This data was used to update the digital facial reconstruction of the Beachy Head Woman.
“Our scientific knowledge and understanding is constantly evolving and, as scientists, it is up to us to continue looking for answers“, says Selina Brace.
“Thanks to technological advances that have occurred in the last decade since the Beachy Head Woman came to light, we are excited to present this comprehensive new data and share more information about this person and her life”, concludes the researcher.
