British scientists have proof Anglo-Saxons did not — as most history books claim — overrun native Britons 1,500 years ago.
Analysis of teeth from 24 corpses found in eastern England show the area absorbed few continental invaders, said Paul Budd of the University of Durham.
Budd, whose work is described in the journal Antiquity, conducted oxygen analysis of the teeth from an Anglo-Saxon cemetery at West Heslerton, North Yorkshire, that spans A.D. 400-600, the BBC reported Wednesday.
Isotopes of oxygen in local drinking water vary across Europe and locally within the British Isles.
The differences are regionally distinctive and get in people’s teeth before they are 12 years of age. Thus, teeth can be used to assess a person’s geographical origin.
Of the 24 individuals sampled, only one individual was found to have been from continental Europe.
The results support other research indicating the introduction of Anglo-Saxon culture and language into Britain did not occur through large-scale replacement of native populations by invading tribes.
