Skeletons with Sub-saharan grandparents found in Dorset and Kent
What did the scientists find?
The scientists originally tested the DNA of 23 bodies that were found in a medieval cemetery.When they studied their DNA most of the skeletons buried there had either northern European or western British and Irish ancestry.But scientists were amazed to find that one person at each cemetery had a recent ancestor from west Africa.In fact, the team found that between 20 to 40 percent of the ancestry in the skeletons was from sub-Saharan Africa. They even revealed that the individuals had similar DNA to groups living in west Africa right now, such as the Yoruba, Mende, Mandenka and Esan groups.
'A diverse population'
According to researchers, the findings suggest that medieval Britain may have been more diverse than once believed.One of the researchers, Dr Edwards, said the results suggested "a diverse population with far-flung connections who were, nonetheless, fully integrated into the fabric of daily life." Another of the team, Dr Sayer, said the finding was "fascinating" because the children were buried in very different places, but had such similar DNA.
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