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Story perspectives

DNA and isotopes link Barton skeleton to Scandinavia

8/30/2026

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Story summary
  • Heritage curator Kevin Booth and his team identified the Barton-upon-Humber skeleton as non-Norman, non-Saxon with likely Scandinavian origins.
  • The oak coffin was made from a single tree felled in 1079, indicating death around that year.
  • DNA analysis revealed substantial continental ancestry and skull shape indicated Scandinavian traits.
  • Strontium isotopes matched the Barton area and oxygen isotopes suggested adolescence in a colder climate.