Viggen Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Builders working on a home in Stratford stumbled upon a ground-breaking discovery when they found the 1,700-year-old remains of an African man. They were working on a house in Tiddington when they found a skeleton buried underground in what appeared to be a Roman period cemetery. Malin Holst of York Osteoarchaeology was able to identify the remains dating back to around 300AD which have great historical significance because they confound the traditional belief people of African descent did not live in Warwickshire until much later. The theory currently being considered by archaeologists is that the man was a former Roman soldier who chose to retire in Stratford.... read the full article at the Stratford Observer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvadius Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Past Horizons also carried this story. However they were much less convinced by the Stratford Observer's presumption of a possible military association, ending their report: ....There is no direct evidence to suggest he was a slave, and none that can link him with being a veteran soldier who has been given land to farm on his retirement from the army. Studies in York for example show the African population in this Roman town was more likely to be from a well off group in society, than any of the other lower orders. Investigation into the man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvadius Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 The BBC have a new article following up on this story with (to me not unexpected) indications that the DNA from the skeleton will now be used as part of research into the ethnic origin of 'modern' Britons. It is hoped a 1,700-year-old African skeleton unearthed in Warwickshire could provide data about the DNA history of later populations and the ethnic origin of modern Britons. The male skeleton, thought to be of a Roman soldier, was found earlier this year in a Roman cemetery in Stratford. Discovered by Archaeology Warwickshire, the skeleton is thought to belong to the county's earliest known African. Further tests aim to determine the man's place of birth. Archaeology Warwickshire's business manager Stuart Palmer said: "This is a very exciting and unexpected outcome." He explained that DNA analysis of the skeleton could provide "invaluable" information about the ethnic origin of modern Britons. ....continued Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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