[Igor Antunov]

Two skeletons have been discovered in a London graveyard which could change our view of the history of Europe and Asia.

Analysis of the bones, found in a Roman burial place in Southwark, discovered that they dated to between the 2nd and 4th Century AD and were probably ethnically Chinese.

Dr Rebecca Redfern, curator of human osteology at the Museum of London, told BBC Radio 4's The World at One the find was "the first time in Roman Britain we've identified people with Asian ancestry" and it was "absolutely phenomenal".

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37452287

Seems people have been getting around the place for a long time.

[fuser]

Alexander, Jesus, the Greeks were Chinese.

[Beren]

Is this why Britain is sold out to China?

[Political Interest]

The Roman Empire truly was cosmopolitan. This news will be used by advocates of mass immigration to further justify their cause. They will add it to their narrative of Britain as a "mongrel nation" built as a "nation of immigrants".

I do often wonder why all of these discoveries are mass publicised but never studies showing skeletons from Saxon or Brythonic ancestors.

Why is there such an emphasis on these sorts of discoveries? Is it because they enforce Britain's self-perception of itself as a multicultural nation?

[Decky]

Probably because finding Saxon skeletons in an Anglo-Saxon country is not exactly a major event but finding Chinese skeletons is? If I went downstairs now and found a room full of gold bullion it would be more of an event than if I went downstairs and found the table and chairs that where there when I was last in the room.

[The Sabbaticus]

The BBC will have a field day with this one, just like they did when they found that skeleton from Roman times of a native African. The word 'multicultural' will be bandied about like a white adolescent girl in Rotherham. And of course 'Asian' automatically includes 'South Asian', implying that the UK was always theirs to colonize, Insha'allah.

[Pants-of-dog]

"Man bites dog" explains it.

But some people love their multicultural conspiracy theories.

[ThirdTerm]

This study investigated the ancestry, childhood residency and diet of 22 individuals buried at an A.D. 2nd and 4th century cemetery at Lant Street, in the southern burial area of Roman London. The possible presence of migrants was investigated using macromorphoscopics to assess ancestry, carbon and nitrogen isotopes to study diet, and oxygen isotopes to examine migration. Diets were found to be primarily C3-based with limited input of aquatic resources, in contrast to some other populations in Roman Britain and proximity to the River Thames. The skeletal morphology showed the likely African ancestry of four individuals, and Asian ancestry of two individuals, with oxygen isotopes indicating a circum-Mediterranean origin for five individuals. Our data suggests that the population of the southern suburb had an ongoing connection with immigrants, especially those from the southern Mediterranean.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/jo ... 3054403/75

Skeletal morphology using cranial macromorphoscopics is not exact science and DNA analysis is needed to confirm Asian ancestry of two individuals buried at the Roman site.

[Igor Antunov]

Or they could use lead isotope makeup within teeth to track exact geographic origin during childhood. However that may not be helpful if these people were born in Europe or nearby to parents that came from far abroad. It will simply show that they came from Europe, even if their parents migrated.

[Atlantis]

The Roman trade with China was so flourishing that at one point they had to prohibit the import of Chinese silk so as not to bankrupt the state coffers.

With trade comes migration, even if today's Brits don't want to believe it.

[Igor Antunov]

It is logical that some silk producers would have wanted to skip the middle man and get in on the ground floor. Silk was a big deal in Rome.

[The Sabbaticus]

Alexander invaded the Indian sub-continent. Phoenicians traded with 'Northerners' in Sweden/Norway. Egypt got its myrrh out of India, Lapis lazuli out of Afghanistan and oxhide ingots (amongst other places) out of Iran. The Mediterranean basin was a regional trade nucleus which incorporated trade routes from across the ancient world. There was also contact between the Mycenaean and the Indus valley civilization. The Indus Valley civilization had contact with another civilization in Central Asia.

[Bosnjak]

It takes 3 Months to trek with backpack from Afghanistan to Central Europe.

and 2 Skeletons out of Million from Roman era in hole Europe, is not a statistic relavant number, like Marco Polo (unknown in East-Asia).

[Thompson_NCL]

With trade comes migration, even if today's Brits don't want to believe it.

Trade may require some level of migration, but it doesn't necessitate mass immigration. That is a very different concept.

[Bosnjak]

Trade may require some level of migration, but it doesn't necessitate mass immigration. That is a very different concept.

[quote="Thompson_NCL"]



The Romans had allways immigration, and they had a different view on citizenship, they integrated many teutonic and egyptian gods in their pantheon, were eager to learn from other cultures.

Historians see 2 reasons for the fall to the Roman Empire, 1. is with wealth occuring decadence, 2. At the end more people immigrated then they could integrate