OXFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND—According to a La Brújula Verde report, eight burials at the Childrey Warren site in southeastern England have been analyzed. In all, the rural cemetery contained more than 30 burials. The eight burials in the study, including the remains of newborns and adults who were more than 45 years old at the time of death, have been dated to the fourth century A.D. One of the individuals had been beheaded, with the skull placed beneath the feet. Ancient DNA samples taken from these remains show that six of the eight people were closely related—sisters, paternal first cousins, and paternal and maternal uncles were identified. The other two individuals had genetic ties to some members of the larger group. Overall, the genetic ancestry of seven of the individuals resembles that of the larger Iron Age population in Britain. One of the men, however, was more closely related to continental European populations, suggesting that the local population may have maintained ties to communities from other regions. To read about England's post-Roman period, go to "A Dark Age Beacon."
