The research was carried out on the DNA of the Cheddar Man, a complete skeleton which was discovered in 1903, by researchers at the London’s Natural History Museum.
According to an analysis of a 10,000-year-old skeleton which was discovered in Somerset in 1903, researchers at the Natural History Museum, London, have found that the primitive Britons possibly had blue eyes, dark curly hair, and black skins.
Scientists were carrying out their usual research on the Cheddar Man, when, via a ‘’stroke of luck’’, they found little pieces of DNA in his ear. It should be remembered that in addition to being the oldest ever skeleton to be found in the UK, the Mesolithic Cheddar man is complete from head to toe. Consequently, it is one of the most prized specimens of the museum.
During their research, the scientists used techniques such as facial reconstruction and genetic sequencing to prove that the first men who inhabited Britain were far darker their successors of today. Afterwards, to cross-check the results of their research, they compared the genomes of the Cheddar Man with those of modern-day inhabitants of Cheddar George.
And as the results would go on to show, the original Briton had more in common with the Paleolithic Africans than what most of us care to believe. That said, that shouldn’t come as a surprise since almost all humans descends from the same Paleolithic Africans.
One notable finding of their research, in the words of the scientists, was that the racial categories prevalent in today’s world are only ‘’recent constructions’’, with none of them being present in the history.
Scientists further claim that harsh temperatures wiped out at least nine original colonisations of Europe. These colonisations were carried out using the Doggerland, a land-bridge which, though currently under water, connected Continental Europe to Great Britain since times immemorial.
Despite extreme temperatures, 12,000 Britons were able to survive during Cheddar Ma’s time. It was due to their survival back then that currently, almost 10% of the current’s white Briton’s genetic make-up resembles them.
The tribe of Cheddar Man, it is believed, migrated to Britain during the closing stages of the Last Ice Age. His DNA, in addition to being linked to Britons, has also been linked to the modern-day Spaniards, Hungarians and the residents of Luxembourg.
