London, Jan 26 (IANS) Archaeologists have unearthed a 1,700-year-old skeleton of an African immigrant at a Roman cemetery in Warwickshire in Britain.
The discovery, made during analysis of remains found near Stratford-upon-Avon, suggests that African immigrants lived far afield of major settlements such as London and York as early as the third or fourth century.
Stuart Palmer, Warwickshire county council’s archaeology projects manager, said the find was surprising because it indicated that people of African descent lived in Warwickshire far earlier than historians thought, the Daily Mail reports.
Experts tought that the skeleton, found in the Tiddington Road area of Stratford during a dig in 2009, may be that of a slave or a former Roman soldier.
A report by experts in excavated remains established that the man was of African descent and was probably in his 40s or 50s when he died.
Palmer said the skeletal remains also revealed that the man was heavily-built and that the condition of his spine showed he was used to carrying heavy loads.
