So @erik_kaars & I are working through our book & have come across findings of African ppl (mostly female) in early England (8th-11th c.). We've searched but discovered no extensive research on these African ppl in preconquest England. #medievaltwitter 1/6 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-24106956

We've found a few tidbits but nothing thorough in archae/anthro research. This is another reason why BIPOC archaeologist work is important. In no one interested in these figures? They are not just blips in history. One news article asks a historian for thoughts & the response 2/

is that she was probably a slave. ?? There is also this reference to the remains of an African girl in Norwich around 1000. This is from Sue Niebrzydowski's article "The sultana and her sisters: black women in the British Isles before 1530."

There seems to be a disconnect 3/

in the archaeo/anthro community that works in the early medieval period when it comes to these sorts of finds. It may be there is unpublished work out there on these women (& others) but perhaps we need to discuss how this is another type of erasure to suit a whitewashed 4/

narrative. Anyway, hey archaeologist/anthropologist friends, do you know anything about this or have any leads? Bat signal out for my ppl! @WBattleBaptiste @SciFleur @LaArqueologa @aflewellen @Sonia_Zak @riveramichael @Archaeofiend @lenofi @theAliceRoberts @ChrisStantis 5/6

Sending out the batsignal to you all too: @AdmiralHip @UglyShmugly @shovelingferret @FrauFry1

I think @DavidOlusoga references some instances in his book, but is there any extensive research we can draw on? 6/6 #archaeotwitter #anthrotwitter

Addendum: I know that there's a blogpost by Dr. Caitlin Green on at least one set of remains and her work has some additional resources but we can't seem to find anything detailed or extensive.