Updown Girl

Not to be confused with Uptown Girl.

Updown Girl
Common nameUpdown Girl
SpeciesHomo sapiens
Age7th century AD
Place discoveredUpdown early medieval cemetery, Eastry, Kent
Date discovered1989

Updown Girl is the name given to the skeletal remains of a young Anglo-Saxon girl discovered at an early 7th-century burial site close to Updown House in Eastry, Kent, England. Although first found in 1989, the Updown Girl aroused new interest in 2022 when modern analysis of her DNA indicated she had some West African ancestry, with evidence suggesting her paternal grandfather or possibly her great-grandfather came from either the Esan or Yoruba population groups.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ "DNA from skeletons 'challenges perceptions and understanding of ancient England'". Cotswold Journal. 6 October 2022. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Ancient DNA reveals complex life stories from the beginnings of English history". University of Central Lancashire. 6 October 2022. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  3. ^ Sayer, Duncan (3 November 2022). "Updown girl: DNA research shows ancient Britain was more diverse than we imagined". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 11 February 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.