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Africans in Medieval England

 
Images of artistic renderings of African descent knights of medieval Europe
Human skeletal remains were found in a friary in Ipswich, Suffolk, England in the 1990s with recent carbon testing dating the remains to the European medieval period of 1190-1300. Scientific experts have confirmed that it is the oldest fossil record evidence of the African presence in Medieval Europe. The European Medieval Period, also called The Middle Ages, is generally dated by Western historians as running from the 5th-15th centuries.

Map of the Suffolk Region of England

Isotopic forensic testing conducted by experts from the University of Dundee Scotland identified the archaeological remains at Ipswich as a human of African descent, likely from the northern regional area of the African continent, in a country now called Tunisia in the Atlas Mountains region. Body carbon dating was also performed by experts for the History Cold Case program on BBC2, which will release a documentary news feature that includes expert facial reconstruction from the skull remains. The remains were found buried on consecrated religious grounds at a friary in the Suffolk region of the United Kingdom.

Image: The Mosque of Uqba, Tunisia

In ancient times, this region was populated by a people called Phoenicians (/fɨˈnɪʃə/) by English speakers and Canaan (Kana`an) in the Hebrew language. Later European and Arab settlers came into the region, such as the Roman Empire under the Eastern Germanic Tribe called Vandals, and the Ottoman Empire. The Mosque of Uqba, also known as the Great Mosque of Kairouan, was founded in 670 B.C.E. in Tunisia (pictured above). It is known as the oldest mosque in what is called by Arab settlers as the Muslim West.


Photo: original land of people Canaan along the Nile river
before migrating throughout the African continent 

"We don't know much about the migration of ordinary people," said Jim Bolton, a historian at Queen Mary, University of London.  "I believe that this is the first physical evidence of Africans in medieval England." Prior to this discovery, however, the oldest known humans of African descent to live in this region of Europe were identified from the tax records. This was a couple whose lifetime dated approximately 150 years after the African man at Ipswich.

16 comments:

  1. An amazing discovery, for sure! Before I read this, the earliest which I thought people from Africa had visited Europe was around the second and third century as members of the Roman Empire.

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  2. The Phoenicians were the best sailors of the time and great traders. It is believed they sailed to Wales for tin. Although they lived in Africa they were not black.

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  3. Located just south of Siena can be found the loving hilltop city of Montalcino. Protected by prepared surfaces and built during the Sixteenth millennium, the town's ancient past is well showed by its rock sidewalk and structures such as the special adventure that timepieces over it. Notable historic period

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  4. K1-k12 American standard of past History of culture among ethnicity has been taught falsely to many students. Classroom certificates and awards and even honor roles based on lies. The student was never taught to challenge the teacher or professor. So we pass on false Historical fact throughout gentry in America. I should tear up my diploma. African Americans have been depicted to only have a major role in existence during slavery time. Now we are princes and princess and royalty and have every bit of intelligence as any other culture in the world. Where are are the primary teaches of this for the youths of today. It's a shame that so little info has been put into the studies of this particular race.
    To all concerned we have to seek out truth entirely of any subject matter, if it's cultural or religion. Be blessed

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    1. You must have gone to a crappy school. We learned about Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, our local inventor,Garret Morgan, and my favorite, Frederick Douglas. And,
      Swaziland has had royalty for at least 2,000 years.

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  5. To say they where not black is foolish and denial. They may not have been as dark Ethiopians or Nubians but definitly still African.

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    1. Mr. Edwards they were and are dark as the prettiest Onyx stone ever seen and as light as the most delicious Carmel you have ever seen.

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  6. If, in Gregorian Calendaric terms, Islam developed in the 6th century how could the Uqba building founded in 650BC be considered the oldest 'mosque?'

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    1. The Islamic development goes back farther than that Mrs. Brown it was another name, check more, and not only that there finally realized that's the point., you agree ?

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    2. Mrs.Brown check again ,the Islamic ways go back farther just under a different name.

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    3. Mohammed died in 620, according to the Gregorian Calendar. According to Islamic history, it did not exist outside Arabia before that. So seventh century.

      Some have tried to appropriate the historical and religious figures of other religions and areas to prove that Islam existed before that time, but its just a projection. No real evidence.

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  7. So true it's like the only thing that attaches to our identity is slaves. Is only a condition that we might have lived but in no way who we where.

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  8. Smh... How do you think my family feels? Being denied our heritage and presence in Europe along with North Africa is frustrating. Especially when I have the DNA to prove it.

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  9. It's a shame that some historians are so fueled with hate that they'll alter history to fit a racist narrative.

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  10. The only thing that annoyed me with that documentary was the automatic assumption that the man must have been a convert from Islam.
    Not necessarily. What about Ethiopia, a Christian Kingdom right in the Middle of Africa? There is an Ethiopian mentioned even in the Bible.

    Or what about the indigenous Christian communities of North Africa, whose presence predates Islam: like the Berber Christians? There was a Bishop in Anglo-Saxon England was a Berber he fled from his homeland as a child.

    There's even references to knights with black skin in the King Arthur stories.

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  11. The Beautiful thing about Truth is it eventually reveals itself.

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