The grave of a black woman in Late Saxon Norfolk, in 11thC cathedral cemetery at North Elmham (extract: EEA 9, 1980)pic.twitter.com/HHSekaSWEQ
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Her remains apparently sent for DNA testing in 2009, be interesting to see what results show: http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/consumption/groups/public/documents/committee_report/archserv140509item9pdf.pdf …pic.twitter.com/9d3b2RzYB1
Quick update on this if anyone interested: chased it up, DNA testing unfortunately never completed due to the person doing it moving away...
@caitlinrgreen Oh drat. My students just asked about evidence of Africans in England in early medieval period--I was hoping for good news...
@commish24 is still some poss evidence, incl at least 3 individuals id'd via skeletal analysis, but DNA would have made more secure :-/
@commish24 Also this, of course, relating to 9thC Ireland: https://twitter.com/caitlinrgreen/status/550306385507147777 … :)
Interestingly, appears that this is not a one-off find--references to another Late Saxon grave of a black woman that was found at Norwich...
@caitlinrgreen & hw did they ascertained this?I don't think genealogical studies wr so update then?Circumstantial or archaeological evidence
@Umarkarim89 It's based on skeletal features, which is less secure than one might like, but bone expert seemed convinced on N. Elmham....
@Umarkarim89 The North Elmham example was sent for DNA testing in 2009, am aiming to chase this up too once New Year holiday over! :)
@caitlinrgreen Caitlin - thanks so much for sharing this.
@GrayGray83 No problem :)
@caitlinrgreen @GrayGray83 No dates. But 8th-9thC?Also how certain can one be of this woman's African origin just from cranial measurement?
@irrpfad @GrayGray83 First post of mine gives date--11thC. Apparently v certain, according to bone specialists of relatively modern period>
@irrpfad @GrayGray83 >so not Victorian pseudo-science... However, the desire to check lies behind recent sending for DNA testing :)
@caitlinrgreen Poss (i) as Clayton, (ii) trade via Scandinavia, (iii) N. Africa/Spain import/export from S France. Impossible to tell though
@GrayGray83 Indeed, various poss--hence why I'd like to find results of DNA tests, as might help! Will post more on Viking poss later :)
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