Ancient Britons’ Teeth Reveal People Were ‘Highly Mobile’ 4,000 Years Ago

Teeth of prehistoric humans found from ancient burial sites in Britain and Ireland have been used to build a database of information. The information points to the diet and climate of the time and how far these people may have traveled.

Key takeaways:

• The teeth found at the sites were dated back to the Early Bronze Age and Chalcolithic periods (2500 to 1500BC).
• Tests carried out on collected tooth fragments — using an oxygen isotope analysis of tooth enamel — provided information as to where the individual lived when the tooth formed.
• Researchers found that the people not only moved within their own country but also traveled within continental Europe.

The diversity is similar to what you would expect to find in medieval ports and cities. What we don’t know is whether they traveled within the UK or whether they also came to and from continental Europe as the isotopic signatures in Europe are similar to those found in Britain and Ireland. Dr Maura Pellegrini, School of Archaeology

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