Beachy Head Lady

Last updated
Beachy Head Lady
Discoveredc. 1950s
Beachy Head, East Sussex, England
Present locationEastbourne Museums
IdentificationMES33810
Period2nd or 3rd century AD, 1,780 to 1,899 years ago (Roman)

The Beachy Head Lady or Beachy Head Woman is an ancient skeleton discovered at Beachy Head, East Sussex, England. The Beachy Head Lady lived during the Roman period, around 125 to 245 AD. [1] [2]

Contents

Remains and investigation

As part of the Eastbourne Ancestors project, over 300 sets of human remains excavated from Anglo-Saxon cemeteries were re-examined in 2012. [3] Heritage Officer Jo Seaman and his team found two boxes at Eastbourne Town Hall labelled "Beachy Head, something to do with 1956 or 1959". [4] Inside was a very well-preserved human skeleton. [5] The Beachy Head Lady is the most complete skeleton in the collection. [2]

Beachy Head where the remains were originally discovered in the 1950s. Beachy Head, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011.jpg
Beachy Head where the remains were originally discovered in the 1950s.

Examination revealed that Beachy Head Lady was aged around 22 to 25 when she died, and was between 4 feet 9 inches and 5 feet 1 inch (1.45 m and 1.55 m) tall. [2] Radiocarbon dating suggested a date range of 125 to 245 AD for the remains, and isotope analysis indicated that the Beachy Head Lady was born and grew up in south-east England. [2] In 2025 advanced DNA analysis confirmed this account of her highly debated origins. [1] [4] [6]

Initially, and erroneously, the skull shape led to an assessment that the woman had originated from Sub-Saharan Africa, [7] leading to claims that she was the earliest known person of Black African origin in Britain. [8] This was undermined in 2023 by analysis of a very partial DNA sample which, still inaccurately, placed her ancestry in Southern Europe, [5] resulting in the removal of a plaque commemorating her as “the first black Briton." [9] Finally, in 2025, DNA analysis on the skeleton using modern techniques revealed she carries genetic ancestry that is most similar to other individuals from the local population of Roman-era Britain. [10]

The remains were exhibited to the public for the first time at the Eastbourne Redoubt in 2014. [11] In 2021, the remains were moved to the newly-refurbished "Beachy Head Story" visitor centre, closer to where they were found. [12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Devlin, Hannah (17 December 2025). "Beachy Head Woman may be 'local girl from Eastbourne', say scientists". Guardian. London. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Beachy Head: Inhumation (MES33810)". The Keep. East Sussex County Council. Archived from the original on 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
  3. ↑ "Eastbourne Ancestors". Visit Eastbourne. Eastbourne Borough Council. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  4. 1 2 Ashworth, James (17 December 2025). "The changing story of the Beachy Head Woman". London: Natural History Museum. Retrieved 17 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. 1 2 Seaman, Jo (23 August 2022) [5 April 2018]. "The mystery of Beachy Head Lady". Museum Crush. Retrieved 26 November 2022. DNA analysis has since concluded that that although she grew up in Eastbourne, the place of her ancestry is in Southern Europe – most likely Cyprus.
  6. ↑ Walton, Andy; Marsh, William (2025). "Beachy Head Woman: clarifying her origins using a multiproxy anthropological and biomolecular approach". Journal of Archaeological Science. doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106445 .
  7. ↑ "Centuries old Beachy Head Lady's face revealed". BBC News. 2014-02-01. Archived from the original on 2025-08-26. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
  8. ↑ Olusoga, David (2016). Black and British: a Forgotten History. Pan Macmillan. p. 33. ISBN   9781447299745.
  9. ↑ Jack Blackburn (26 October 2023). "Plaque for first black Briton is shelved (she was from Cyprus)". The Times . Archived from the original on 17 December 2025. Retrieved 26 October 2023. Parish councillors in the village of East Dean in East Sussex voted to remove the plaque
  10. ↑ James Ashworth (17 December 2025). "The changing story of the Beachy Head Woman". Natural History Museum - Science News.
  11. ↑ Mintz, Zoe (2 February 2014). "Face Of 'Beachy Head Lady' Revealed, Roman Era Woman Is A 'Fantastic Discovery' [PHOTO]". International Business Times. New York City. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  12. ↑ Panons, Jacob (16 April 2021). "Eastbourne museum to open next month after gift shop welcomes customers". Eastbourne Herald.
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