DNA analysis finds "first black Briton" was actually a white woman...

Complete with blonde hair and blue eyes.

The woman lived between AD 129 and AD 311. Until recently she was thought to be the earliest proof of a sub-Saharan presence in Great Britain.

quote:

---

A woman long believed to be the ‘first Black Briton’ was in fact white and had local ancestry from southern England, according to a new genetic study that overturns more than a decade of public perception.

For years, scientists believed the woman, known as the Beachy Head Woman, came from sub-Saharan Africa. Her remains were discovered near the cliffs of Beachy Head in East Sussex and were widely presented as early evidence of African presence in Roman Britain.

That view has now been corrected by new DNA analysis from the Natural History Museum and University College London, showing she had genetic ties to local Roman-era Britons.

Researchers had initially promoted her African origin with confidence. Her skull was reconstructed and displayed with dark features, and a commemorative plaque was placed at a local cricket club celebrating her as a figure of African heritage. However, advanced DNA testing has now revealed she likely had blue eyes, light hair, and an intermediate skin tone.

---

LINK