High-quality ancient DNA sequencing and osteological analyses show that the woman known as Beachy Head Woman was likely born in southern England and genetically similar to local Roman-era populations, overturning an earlier craniometric claim of sub-Saharan origins. Radiocarbon dating places her death between 129 and 311 AD. She was about 18–25 years old, just under 5 feet tall, had a healed leg injury and a seafood-rich diet; a 3D reconstruction depicts fair hair, light skin and blue eyes.
High-Quality Ancient DNA Rewrites 'First Black Briton' Story — Beachy Head Woman Likely From Southern England
A new reconstruction of how the Beachy Head Woman would have looked - Face Lab/Liverpool John Moores University
Researchers reanalyzing skeletal remains once described as the "first Black Briton" now say the woman known as Beachy Head Woman most likely was born in southern England and belonged to the local Roman-era population. New high-quality ancient DNA sequencing, combined with osteological and isotopic analyses and a 3D skull reconstruction, offer a clearer picture of her ancestry, appearance and life.
Background
The remains were catalogued at Eastbourne Town Hall after their discovery in 2012. Radiocarbon dating places her death between 129 and 311 AD, during Roman rule in Britain, and initial analysis sparked intense public interest.
In 2013, a craniometric study — ancestry estimation based on skull measurements — suggested sub-Saharan African origins, a finding that led to the label "first known Black Briton." A 2017 study using low-coverage genetic data then proposed a possible Mediterranean origin.
New Genetic Evidence and Reconstruction
The latest study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, used improved methods to recover high-quality ancient DNA from the remains. The genetic data indicate the woman carried ancestry most similar to other individuals from local Roman-era Britain.
“By using state-of-the-art DNA techniques we were able to resolve the origins of this individual,” said William Marsh, co-first author and population geneticist at the Natural History Museum.
The team combined genomic results with a 3D scan of her skull to produce a facial reconstruction showing fair hair, light skin and blue eyes. Osteological analysis estimates she stood just under 5 feet (about 1.52 m) tall and was 18–25 years old at death. Her bones show a healed injury to one leg, indicating she survived a significant but non-fatal wound, and isotopic measurements of carbon and nitrogen suggest a diet rich in seafood.
Scientific Context and Reactions
Independent experts praised the work as a robust example of how improved technologies can refine or overturn earlier conclusions. Pontus Skoglund of the Francis Crick Institute described the analysis as "straightforward and robust," and Thomas Booth, a bioarchaeologist, called it an "excellent transparent example of science self-correcting." Both noted that craniometric methods were used when DNA tools were less accessible and cautioned about their limitations.
The case highlights two broader points: first, that advances in ancient DNA sequencing can materially change interpretations of past individuals; and second, that craniometric ancestry estimates — which have a controversial history — can be unreliable when used alone.
What We Now Know
Taken together, the radiocarbon dating, high-coverage genomic data, skull reconstruction, osteological indicators and isotopic signatures offer a more complete, evidence-based portrait of Beachy Head Woman as a young adult from the local population of Roman-era southern England who likely ate seafood and survived at least one serious leg injury.
Publication: Journal of Archaeological Science. The research underscores how ongoing technological improvements in ancient DNA analysis continue to sharpen our understanding of individual lives in the past.
