Post by rivertemz on Aug 25, 2014 3:43:08 GMT -5
GREAT ASTONISHING FINDING !
why isn't this well known
Used text and images from several articles --
2010 BBC headline-- "Roman remains in York are 'elite' African woman "
2010 The Guardian-- "African origin of Roman York's rich lady with the ivory bangle"
2010 DailyMail Headline -- "Revealed: The African queen who called York home in the 4th century"
Location of Roman York in Britain;
why isn't this well known
Used text and images from several articles --
2010 BBC headline-- "Roman remains in York are 'elite' African woman "
2010 The Guardian-- "African origin of Roman York's rich lady with the ivory bangle"
2010 DailyMail Headline -- "Revealed: The African queen who called York home in the 4th century"
I liked the BBC title and the images used in the Dailymail Article,
but UK's The Guardian wrote the research better so I've quoted theirs;
African origin of Roman York's rich lady with the ivory bangle
Re-examination of skeletons shows greater population mix than expected
One of the richest inhabitants of fourth century Roman York, buried in a stone
sarcophagus with luxury imports including jewellery made of elephant ivory, a mirror
and a blue glass perfume jar, was a woman of black African ancestry, a re-examination of her skeleton has shown.
Now, 16 centuries after her death, her skeleton is helping prove
the startling diversity of the society in which she lived.
"We're looking at a population mix which is much closer to contemporary Britain
than previous historians had suspected," Hella Eckhardt, senior lecturer at the department
of archaeology at Reading University, said. "In the case of York, the Roman population
may have had more diverse origins than the city has now."
Eckhardt's work with a team of scientists and archaeologists, funded by the Arts
and Humanities Research Council and published today in Antiquity magazine,
involved re-examining skeletons excavated over a century ago.
Isotope evidence suggests that up to 20% were probably long distance migrants.
Some were African or had African ancestors, including the woman dubbed "the ivory bangle lady",
whose bone analysis shows she was brought up in a warmer climate, and whose skull shape suggests mixed ancestry including black features.
The authors point out that Roman North Africa was noted for its mixed populations,
with Phoenician, Berber and Mediterranean influences.
"This skull is particularly interesting, because the stone sarcophagus she was buried in,
and the richness of the grave goods, means she was a very wealthy woman, absolutely from the top end of York society," Eckhardt said.
"We can't tell if she was independently wealthy, or the wife or daughter of a wealthy
man — but the bones show that she was young, between 18 and 23, and healthy with no obvious sign of disease or cause of death."
The ivory bangle lady came from a group of graves excavated in 1901,
on what would have been the approaches to the Roman city of Eboracum, modern York.
The burials were dated to the second half of the fourth century AD, and many had rich grave goods.
One of the richest was the woman's, buried with her treasures including the jewellery and glass,
and a piece of bone carved with an inscription translated as "Hail sister, may you live in God" — suggesting she may have been a Christian.
The most poignant symbol of multi-cultural Britain was her bracelets,
one of African ivory, one of Yorkshire jet which probably came from Whitby.
The authors comment: "The case of the 'ivory bangle lady' contradicts assumptions that may
derive from more recent historical experience, namely that immigrants are low status and male,
and that African invdividuals are likely to have been slaves. Instead, it is clear that both women
and children moved across the Empire, often associated with the military."
The skull and her possessions will go on display in a new exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum, opening next summer.
Posted by Daily Mail-- "A painting that depicts how the 'Ivory Bangle Lady' may have looked"
Location of Roman York in Britain;
