Whole-genome history and evolution in a thousand ancient Britons

The British population is currently the world's most well-studied in the field of human medical genetics. This project extends revolutionary resources of individualized DNA information such as the UK Biobank to a 3rd dimension, by sequencing more than 1000 ancient genomes from the skeletal material of people who lived in Britain during the past 4,500 years. Performing the first fine-scale studies of ancient genomes from a single place will allow us to understand human evolution in response to watershed moments in the past, such as epidemics, dietary shifts, urbanization, and industrialization. It will also aid archaeology and medical genetics by untangling the complex and rich ancestry of present-day British populations through Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, and later periods. Collaborating closely with archaeologists, the project will contextualise DNA information about studied individuals, creating new ways to understand the complex tapestry of ancestry through the human past.