Migrants were a continuous feature of medieval Britain, archaeological study shows

punishment.  His words, and writings by later authors, influenced our understanding of this era for over 1,000 years, giving rise to the theory of an Anglo-Saxon invasion. 

But in recent decades, archaeologists have questioned this reconstruction of events: Perhaps the “invasion” was simply the arrival of a small armed elite. Over time, this dominant new group may have influenced Britons, leading them to adopt foreign fashions and objects. 

If so, in a grave, a local would look no different from a foreigner, masking the true extent of migration. To shed light on this situation, a team led by Sam Leggett at the University of Edinburgh drew on data from hundreds of skeletons unearthed across England, all from the early medieval era—approximately AD 400 to 1100. By studying chemical signatures trapped in the skeletons’ tooth enamel, it was possible for the team to reconstruct whether these individuals had drunk water and eaten in locations that differed from where they were buried.