Kent, Prehistory to the Dark Ages
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What's included in Ancient DNA Hub?
- The Ancient DNA Hub DNA test provides powerful, innovative, and interactive DNA-based tools to help you find your ancient ancestors, trace your prehistorical lineages, and determine your ancient tribal origins.
- Find out how related you are to the prehistoric people that settled South East England (7500BC-750AD) found at various archeological sites in Kent, England, and outside of it. Maps data: (C) Google Maps 2023
- Receive a detailed breakdown of your ancient geographical origins, ancient ancestry maps showing where your ancestors lived and traveled, and your exact genetic similarity to each member of your ancient tribe.
- Compare your results with over 50 worldwide ancient and modern populations.
- Reach out and reconnect with your 9500-year-old Kentian ancestors who experienced nearly six millennia of changes from constructing Kent’s ‘Stonehenge’ in Iwade with flint tools to building the remarkable Dover Boat from Bronze tools, until Early Medieval England.
- Explore how the people of Kent changed over the millennia from Kent's Cavern to Eastry – Their story can be your story.
- Basic test includes 5 people.
- Advanced test includes 15 people.
About the test
In 2800 BC, the Bell Beakers arrived in Britain, and half a millennia later, Kent entered the Bronze Age, with arrows found in burial sites. The Bell Beakers, who facilitated this transformation, brought not only knowledge of metallurgy but also new styles of art and experience in trade. But what happened to the builders of those megaliths? Did they survive the arrival of the Bell Beakers, or were they replaced? Were they local to Britain, or were they also immigrants? Where did the megalith builders and Bell Beakers come from, and what was their genetic legacy? For a very long time, we could only guess their origin.
This, however, changed in 2018 with the sequencing of ancient genomes from Kent, which allowed studying the origins of the people throughout six millennia for the first time. With the availability of 15 genomes recovered from eleven sites in Kent (Eastry, Folkestone (Dover Hill), Sittingbourne (Highsted), East Kent, Cliffs End Farm, Margetts Pit, Isle of Sheppey, Trottiscliffe, Kent's Cavern in Devon), we can finally tell the story of the men and women of Kent and understand how the arrival of the Bell Beakers changed them.
The test includes 15 settlers of Kent who lived between 7500 and 750 AD and witnessed the transformation to the Neolithic, then to the Bronze Age as well as the arrival of the Bell Beakers, and finally to Early Medieval England after the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons. The test provides a detailed historical, archeological, and paleogenetic background of these builders of Kent. It describes the relationships of the Kent settlers with other ancient Britons and their cultic practices. A detailed profile is available for every Kent settler. Find out now how related you are to the ancient people of Kent.