Cheddar Man has the genetic markers of skin pigmentation usually associated with sub-Saharan Africa.

Ancient DNA from Cheddar Man, a Mesolithic skeleton discovered in 1903 at Gough’s Cave in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, has helped Museum scientists paint a portrait of one of the oldest modern humans in Britain.

Cheddar Man lived around 10,000 years ago and is the oldest almost complete skeleton of our species, Homo sapiens, ever found in Britain, according to scientist from the Natural History Museum

Cheddar Man has the genetic markers of skin pigmentation usually associated with sub-Saharan Africa.

This discovery is consistent with a number of other Mesolithic human remains discovered throughout Europe.

‘He is just one person, but also indicative of the population of Europe at the time, they had dark skin and most of them had pale colored eyes, either blue or green and dark brown hair.’ Tom Barnes

Source: Natural History Museum