Beachy Head Lady
The Beachy Head Lady or Beachy Head Woman is an ancient woman whose skeleton was discovered at Beachy Head, East Sussex, England. The Beachy Head Lady lived during the Roman period, likely in the timeframe of 129 to 311 AD. As new techniques have been applied to the remains their interpretation has changed, with an initial proposal of sub-Saharan ancestry supplanted by genetic analysis indicating close similarity to Roman period individuals from southern Britain and Northern Europe.
Remains and investigation
As part of the Eastbourne Ancestors project, over 300 sets of excavated human remains excavated were re-examined in 2012. Heritage Officer Jo Seaman and his team found two boxes at Eastbourne Town Hall labelled "Beachy Head, something to do with 1956 or 1959". Inside was a very well-preserved human skeleton. The Beachy Head Lady is the most complete skeleton in the collection.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 tall. Radiocarbon dating suggested a date range of 129 to 311 AD for the remains, and isotope analysis indicated that the Beachy Head Lady was born and grew up in south-east England.
Initially, the forensic analysis of the skull led to an assessment that the woman had originated from Sub-Saharan Africa, leading to claims that she was the earliest known person of Black African origin in Britain. This was undermined in 2023 by analysis of a very partial DNA sample which placed her ancestry in Southern Europe. 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.