Graham HuntleyScientists have shed light on the true origins of the so-called “first Black Briton”.
The skeletal remains – dating from Roman times – were previously thought to belong to a woman from the sub-Saharan region.
This had led her to be dubbed “one of the earliest Africans in Britain”.
But scientists have now said they cannot find any signs she was from Africa or had ancestry in that part of the world.
They detailed in a paper published on Wednesday she actually had a strong genetic similarity to individuals from rural Britain.
She likely had blue eyes, between pale and dark skin and light hair, scientists added.
A craniofacial reconstruction of the ancient skeleton had previously depicted her as having curly black hair, brown eyes and dark skin.
‘Beachy Head Lady’
The skeleton was first uncovered in 2012 in a box in the basement of Eastbourne Town Hall in East Sussex.
The only information on the remains was a label saying ‘Beachy Head (1959)’ – gaining her the moniker the “Beachy Head Lady” after the beauty spot.
Multiple attempts to establish her geographical origins and ancestry were made afterwards.
The initial assessment that she was of recent sub-Saharan origin was originally based on analysis of her skull in 2013, scientists said.
“The discovery of the ‘first black Briton known to us’ gained traction across several media outlets, non-fiction books, educational resources and academic publications,” they wrote in the paper.
However, scientists added, this interpretation began to shift.
Graham HuntleyOther scientists later suggested the Beachy Head Lady may have grown up around Eastbourne, but been born in Cyprus.
“Whilst these preliminary results were not published in a scientific journal, they were subsequently reported in the media,” the paper’s authors said.
Scientists’ latest discovery is based on DNA analysis of the skeleton, which has been radiocarbon dated to between 129 and 311 AD.
The Beachy Head Lady is believed to have been aged between 18 and 25 when she died and was an estimated 5ft (1.52m) tall.
Scientists have said they cannot determine her cause of death.
