DNA Study Of ‘Cheddar Man’ Re-Writes Ancient History Of Britain

AncientPages.com - DNA studies reveal that people in Britain had blue eyes and dark skin 10,000 years ago. Who were the first people to arrive in Britain and where did they come from?

This groundbreaking DNA tests may shed some light on the ancient history of Britain.

Based on the DNA tests, researchers say that the first inhabitants of the British isles developed white skin much later than previously thought.

Somerset's Cheddar Gorge where the Cheddar Man was found. Credit: Somerset Directory

The story takes us back to 1903 when a skeleton was discovered in a cave in Somerset's Cheddar Gorge, England.The remains of the man who died about 10,000 became known as the “Cheddar Man”. A huge hole in his skull suggests he died a violent death.

The skull of Cheddar Man, the oldest complete skeleton of a human found in Britain. Credit: National History Museum

Scientists from the  Britain's Natural History Museum and University College London have now cinducted a comprehensive DNA analysis of the “Cheddar Man” and to their surprise, they discovered that the ancient man did not have brown eyes and light skin, as it was previously thought.
Instead it turned out that the “Cheddar Man” blue eyes and dark skin!

The model of Cheddar Man rendered by Kennis & Kennis Reconstructions will feature in the Channel 4 television documentary The First Brit: Secrets of the 10,000 Year Old Man © Tom Barnes/Channel 4

"It is very surprising that a Brit 10,000 years ago could have that combination of very blue eyes but really dark skin," said Chris Stringer from the Britain's Natural History Museum. Stringer has analyzed the bones of people found in the cave the past decade.

Cheddar Man's tribe migrated to Britain at the end of the last Ice Age and his DNA has been linked to individuals discovered in modern-day Spain, Hungary and Luxembourg.

See also:

Sutton Hoo Ship Burial And Famous Helmet That Could Belong To Raedwald, King Of All The Kings Of Britain

Caesar’s Invasion Of Britain Started from Pegwell Bay in Kent – New Study Says

William The Conqueror: Ruthless And Powerful Ruler That Changed Britain Forever

Scientists have tried to reveal Cheddar Man’s story for more than 100 years. What did he look like and where did he come from? It seems we now have answers to questions that have long puzzled researchers.

Experts also revealed that Cheddar Man shares ten per cent of his DNA with people living in the UK today.
“It may be that we may have to rethink some of our notions of what it is to be British, what we expect a Briton to look like at this time,” Dr Rick Schulting, an archaeology professor at Oxford University said.

The DNA study of the Cheddar Man re-writes history of ancient Britain. Could this latest study also shed light on the mystery of the Black Irish people?

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