Maybe the hole in his head signifies that he is actually Swiss, not Cheddar?! 🤔 Either way, this story sounds a bit cheesy to me! 🤷‍♀️

"First humans on British shores" implies an island. Britain was still joined to mainland Europe when humans first came.

Oxford University scientists announced Friday 9 Mar 1997 that Adrian Targett, 42, a history teacher in the large Village (pop of 5500) of Cheddar in southwest England, shares a common ancestor with Cheddar Man. It is the longest human lineage ever traced, the team of scientists from the university's Institute of Molecular Medicine said.

I once read they did a DNA comparison on Cheddar Man with local people, and they found one gentleman who was a descendant of Cheddar Man. His wife remarked her husband was rather fond of rare meat.

Poor explanation of whether he’s a direct ancestor. Yes, he is, if he left descendants, because he lived before the Identical Ancestors Point. He is a member of the WHG population, Western Hunter Gatherers. From Wikipedia “This population forms about 10%, on average , of the ancestry of Britons without a recent family history of immigration.” So yes, he (or his contemporaries who left descendants) make up 10% of the typical British ancestry, and a smaller proportion of the ancestry of everybody else.

Didn't Adrian Targett from Cheddar link his mitochondrial DNA back to Cheddar Man? I believe it happened back twenty-five years ago or so..

Britain has always been a land where people come and go, except, Cheddar man's people, the Western-Hunter-Gatherers, went nowhere. Rather they were replaced by the farming population. This doesn't mean they all decided to just leave the land to the farmers, this meant they were taken over by the farmers. Interestingly, we see in Britain and Ireland that phenotypes associated with these Western hunter-gatherers remained amongst the ruling elite of the later farming societies. This is in contrast to the typical continental setting where we see the farmers actively waging war against the Western hunter-gatherer populations during the neolithic. Yet then again, the farmers that replaced Cheddar man's people, were then replaced, by force, by the Bell Beaker people as this video mentions, but the farmers did not leave peacefully. We see instead up to 90% of the farming society's people disappear, with an almost complete and significant population replacement, by a society that was notorious for it's warrior-graves. However, British people are essentially still Bell Beakers. In Ireland and Wales, most of their ancestors and paternal lineages are of indigenous beaker origin. In Scotland, most of their ancestry and paternal lineages are also of Beaker origin. In England, they have less native Beaker ancestry, but the ancestors of the English from the continent, e.g. the various Germanic tribes, were ultimately also of Beaker origin, however they were continental beaker people. 4,500 years of a relatively stable population of Beaker-descendent people. Beaker people themselves being descendants of both Western-Hunter-Gatherers and the farmers. It's not really comparable to modern migration.

Strange calling the The Oldest Englishman. English or England did not exit ten thousand years ago. The oldest Britain would be a more accurate title for this.

Well done! But I do have a bone to pick: early remains are labeled "cannibals" when there is actually only evidence of de-fleshing of bones, not what was done with that flesh. Many people groups de-flesh bones in order to release the spirit.

The thing is homosapien is a wanderer. Always moving, some of us have made incredible efforts to travel others "settle down". Our monogamy makes moving a lot easier than for a polygamous communities who would have to have a planning committee meeting b4 they could do anything

I was totally captivated by this show, I live very close to Cheddar gorges, and when it all closes at about 5.30pm, I have been in the Gorges for a late picnic with family and friends, and the mountain Goats that still climb wildly upwards on what look like a giant stairway, you cant help but feel you are trapped in time. In an age that could of been 10,000 years ago or 100,000 years ago, until a car or motorbike brings you back to today.

They found his distance relative through a DNA through his mother side he was shocked and he said that it's a interesting thing to be apart of a family older than the current monarch. He had black hair and blue eyes.

Why mention Ms Seacoal? She was a trader !

@20:19, "...people coming into the UK..." A common mistake among many people, calling ancient Briton the UK (United Kingdom), which only came into existence, somewhat recently, with the Act of Union in 1801 as a political entity.

Geneticist Susan Walsh at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, says "we simply don't know his skin colour". this video claims the NHM own Geneticist did the research, are they saying 'Susan Walsh' was not involved?

People have only left the islands of Great Britain and Ireland due to the advance of ice sheets - driven out by nature, not choice.

My grandmother told me it doesn't matter what they tell you at school Chedder man was not made of cheese

Why not upload his DNA to GEDMatch? They have an Archaic Matches table there that you can match your DNA to known DNA samples up to 20,000+ years ago

My irish father has quite a bit of DNA from Cheddar nan. I have confirmed it through about 6 other DNA sites and they all come back to him. He also has DNA from that part of England and lots of DNA matches from the South West..

A very enjoyable watch, ably presented. A subject I'm always interested in. I feel I've learnt something.

What age group is this chanel aimed at? 10-12 yr olds.

on the news today in Lancashire they discovered a cave with remains over 11000 years old

The people who reconstructed Cheddar Man said they had darkend his skin as an experiment. Its taken on a political thing. Cheddar Man probably looked like Tom Jones, Catherine Zeta Jones or Luke Evans. Within the zone of Britishness.

Eh. Poorly written and presented. There are far more serious documentaries on the cheddar man that *don't* go off topic to "racism", modern immigration and/or "colonialism".

Vitamin D is correct, is one answer to why the pigmentation is different, and it became dominant in the European countries over thousands of years.

Some pretty basic errors in this, for instance Doggerland didn't disappear 125.000!!!, years ago. It was in fact less than 10.000 years ago, how can such a basic error be made unless there is some propaganda element to this program.

This non historian presenter of 'history' is apparently (and perhaps unwittingly) part of a wider 'multicultural' campaign which argues that early Britons were 'black' and that Celts, Saxons and Vikings were 'migrants', no different at all from the tens of thousands of young Middle Eastern men who are crossing the English Channel this year. The best part of this video is the brilliant scientific input from a highly intellectual Dr Selina Brace at the Natural History Museum. She could have presented the entire programme. However, the general presenter (herself of a recent migrant background) mused, no doubt correctly, that, over millennia and centuries, many populations change their ethnic content or are replaced completely by other peoples and belief systems. Therefore folks, I am now convinced that there is really no such thing as a native culture in the UK and even if there is, it has no particular value so let it be replaced. Preferably as soon as possible. Furthermore, do not worry if there is a collapse in Western liberal values in the UK due to mass migration from, for example the Islamic world, or if this leads to the kind of 'multicultural' paradise-on-earth that has torn places like Syria, Palestine, Kurdistan, Bosnia and Lebanon apart with tit for tat atrocities from different ethnic and religious groups. You see, migration and population changes and replacement are 'natural' and have been happening for millennia. So there is no need to worry about (actually very swift) mass migration into the UK and Europe. Clearly, ancient population changes too would have led to countless incidents of violence, rape, slavery, forced conversion, family breakup, abject misery, tribal conflict and many other kinds of trauma. It might actually be more useful if History Hit programmes are presented by qualified historians/archaeologists/DNA scientists (rather than generalised 'hobby' presenters) ie by specialist presenters who know their history, stick to it, and allow the channel's overwhelmingly well educated viewers to draw their own conclusions.

I've found over the years, meeting British white folks that some are VERY white and pale, they sunburn really easily, etc, and others who have an almost olive skin and tan very easily and are pretty much unaffected by the sun. It's just interesting to me because I used to see it all the time and often wondered about it.

Interesting video i thought they did find a relative of Cheddar Man. Living in a Village not far from where Cheddar Man's remains were found? I am sure I recall seeing that on the news? I did enjoy this video as I was born in Cheltenham , England. Now I reside in Ontario , Canada. 💪🏻🙏🏻✨

I have have only just found her, but I love this woman, she speaks with the confidence of knowledge gained. A word to the wise: ' It is only when you realize you know absolutely nothing, that you become open to learning something. ' Words from my father to me. He was a very successful research chemist, and a borderline genius who, in retirement, lectured internationally.

Excellent and fascinating; thank you for putting in the time and expense to produce the awesome video.

what about that DNA test years ago in which they found he was related to a local history teacher? Mick Aston was involved...

The tectonic plates brought Scotland and England together, and once upon a time we were merged in with the main continent of Europe. How long has a kind of human being have to be in a land, before it is regarded as native. Anglo Saxon, Jutes and Danes and Normans for that matter have been in the UK for over a thousand years. How long were the Maoris in New Zealand there, or the Native American in the US? About a thousand years perhaps.

We need more of this kind of program! One that doesn't assume we are as we have always been. We need new perspectives in Anthropology.

"The Oldest Englishman who ever lived"? What utter nonsense.

Thank You Ms Wiwa for a fascinating Documentary about Ancient Britain. An enlightening perspective.

She seems very nice and calm. Very relaxing voice and perfect for the topic in my opinion

I think it's worth keeping in mind that the Cheddar Man sample had been in storage for decades before the Natural History Museum commissioned the analysis. The study and genome were never published, and years later have still not been despite the Museum's half-hearted insistence that they were going to be. Considering samples for DNA analysis are supposed to be extracted during excavation, and not after decades sitting in the archives, alongside the fact that almost no information about any of this has been published or peer-reviewed, I would take all of this with a rather large pinch of salt. The findings are rather convenient in today's social climate, but the science is hardly watertight.

A well presented documentary that raises more questions about our fascinating human journey. Will our wanderlust extend to the stars eventually as we continue to evolve? The histories tell us Picts lived in Britain, then Celts, Roman Peoples (from Spain across to Germany), and Scandinavian settlers who interbred with a mix of all the settlers in those fair isles. Britain, like Europe, has been a melting pot of migrants for thousands of years. Some people today like to discriminate on the basis of colour when their real fear is a difference of culture. Modern Britain is a product of farmers fighting back the forests that once provided a haven for the nomadic inhabitants and the WILD-life that preceeded them, bringing domestic animals to her shores.

When you think of it, it makes total sense. I read ages ago that scientists found that the very first humans were black skinned and came from Africa ,around Botswana area so obviously they spread out and travelled around the world , . Wasn't the world all joined up anyway at first then parts of the lands moves away to form the world we know today? Fascinating stuff. Huge thanks for sharing . 👍❤️

What a fascinating video wow how Interesting, I remember hearing about Cheddar Man, many years ago. But this video was put together and explained In the perfect way. I loved It

An interesting subject and well presented , thank you !

Who would have thought that animals, humans included and plants thrive as the climate warms up. Astounding.

4:23 Yeah that's his left eye, unless you have flipped the video. I appreciate the lack of stock video, but the images could have followed the narrative a lot better. So many shots that were not of the thing being described.

One thing I love about these islands we call home is that despite what the Nick Griffin's of the world say, being British is defined by an attitude, an accent and most of all a particular sharpness of wit and sense of humour rather than skin colour etc. One of our greatest strengths has always been the knowledge that reason trumps emotion. I'm proud to live in a country that says, "As long as we can laugh together, we can live together."

Love the show, love the podcasts, well done guys, keep it up!

For some reason, I feel like I was supposed to learn more than the story of cheddar man from this video. Was this about history or some kind of social message that I'm not understanding?

Not an "Englishman". A Briton.

He wasn’t an Englishman. English is a 9th century identity. That is well after this man lived.

The only thing we know for sure is that Cheddar Gorge is really fuxxing cool

You pretty well answered my question (thought). It would be interesting to put Cheddar Man's DNA into the genealogy DBs and see if there are any matches with anyone alive today.

Party political broadcast on behalf of the African diaspora! Nevertheless, a good whistle-stop tour of a million years' of history. Enjoyed it. Personally I don't care where the UK population originates, I just don't want it growing too big. It's hard enough to accommodate, educate and medicate the 65 or so millions we've got now! And I'd prefer not to be obliged to turn a predominantly "green and pleasant land" into an endless concrete & asphalt jungle. If the trendy lefties have got answers to these issues I'd like to hear them.

Many people on here denying that the History teacher is descended from “Cheddar Man” but the team who did the original excavation tested many people in the area and only found one, the history teacher who, amazingly, looks like the reconstruction.

Really interesting. Thanks for posting.

What's going on here? In his book, "Saxons, Vikings, and Celts" (published as "Blood of the Isles" in the UK) Bryan Sykes describes taking the first DNA sample taken from one of Cheddar man's teeth. It was in fact the first successful sample taken from early human remains. How could the producers of this documentary not be aware of this?

"... and of course his skin pigmentation would have been dark or dark-brown to black in colour" Can someone explain how he was blacker than some Africans when his ancestors have been from Europe for tens of thousands of years?

It’s insane that the skeleton has survived so long. It’s hard to even find Anglo-Saxon bodies intact from 2000 years ago! ❤

So interesting to think of all the different ways people have looked over the millennia!

Well made programme. Interesting that the natural history lady says "sapp iens" as I do and my family do and the presenter says "say piens". May be the former is English and the latter American. All my direct ancestors back to the 1700s are from UK/Ireland (which is a bit boring). The further back I go (in terms of UK written records) the small the area from which people come. My DNA on the maternal side tracked back 30,000 years leads us to the Caucasus mountains.

Cheddarman and other western hunter gatherers lacked the two slc genes responsible for light skin in Europeans today. East Asians lack those light skin genes also everyones seen the skin color of a Korean. Western hunter gatherers had already been in mainland Europe for tens of thousands of years before cheddarman during an ice age that's plenty far north and plenty of time to depigment.

Great video! I appreciate the geological, climatic, and deep-time perspectives.

Fascinating. Thank you. Currently reading a brief history of sapiens

This was amazing. Thank you!

08:40 "Almost half a million years later ..." Imagine half a million years on from now, the year 502023. That would be something, wouldn't it?

Why is it that almost every human remain appears to have been murdered? Were we just really good at hiding bodies in the past?

There is a very nice theory of why we stopped and started to grow stuff like wheat. We learned how to make alcohol, and as you cannot carry your field with you we got happily stuck and we got more organized, all for the better.

"Cheddar Man" is the ancestor of Nigerian cheese that migrated to a northern area in Somerset.

"Primitive human that makes grunting noises all the time". LOL sounds like my brother...literally.

I've read that a man in the Cheddar area does show relation to Cheddar Man. Has this been debunked then?

The DNA of Adrian Targett, who was 42 years old when that discovery was made, was found to match that belonging to Cheddar Man

The hunter gatherer to farming didn't all happen at once and they kind of dipped in and out of it and it only gradually happen.

A woman after my own heart. Who are the first and how? Thank you.

She doesn't answer the question about who is indigenous here. If you look at peoples we consider indigenous like Native Americans, Aborigines and Maori we'll find the same story of movement. So is she suggesting there is no such thing as indigenous peoples and it doesn't matter?

Well it was interesting nonetheless, but it would be nice if we know more about these people of pre-farming Europe

Africa was not the only place humans emerged from. Now we know of at least 3 more species that developed.

I love these kinds of videos. Great video, great content, and it's so interesting to listen to people who are really passionate about their job and can at the same time explain things in a way others, non professionnals can understand. Thank you so much. Cheers from France.

the we're unlikely to find anyone related to him, didn't age well did it. They found his distant descendant still living in the area, and still looking the spit of his ancestor. It's amazing how close they look.

The first peoples of North America crossed the Bering land bridge and are accepted as the first people. The Aborigines in Australia are that continent’s first peoples. History accepts this. Any where Caucasian people go are considered interlopers and colonizers. Seems a woke double standard.

I can't help but to wonder about history of Sweden. As I can trace my dad's side of the family back to 1300's then the town was destroyed, records where lost.... I also wonder how my ancestors effected other groups, like the Vikings changed how English is spoken after the Romans pulled out of England.

Well presented and informative. Thank you!

I love how the rendition of him has this little smirk and a twinkle in his eye

There is a new element in our development that most find all too easy to ignore, and that is the sensible obligation to keep our individual carbon footprints low.

I know they used to have giraffes too the skulls were found in the cheddar caves also. The world was a much different place then😊

It is astounding to me, seeing his facial reconstruction, just how similar he looks to many old photographs taken of many Native Americans in the US..

It's interesting to note that a very famous traveling celebrity came from a small village (Wedmore) near Cheddar gore. Yes, Garry Glitter is from there...

The phenotype is a bit like modern Berbers. Could people have been crossing the Straits of Gibraltar to Spain and moving northward?

I'm confused by what is our last common ancestor, i this video it is 7000 years ago, traditionally it was in the Horn of Africa 70,000 years ago and mitochondrial DNA is supposed toe be 200,000 years ago???

What a refreshing approach to explaining our history, real and relatable. A stark contrast to previous pompous pedagogory we are usually confronted with. Well done ladies we need more of this.

The whole point of this video is to show that actually, there are no "indigenous" people of the British Isles, therefore we should not protest about being invaded by ten million immigrants in the last 25 years. But if you are Maori, Aborigine, Native American then it is just fine to make a big issue about your lands being overrun by white settlers.

The eye color surprises me because I've heard that everyone with blue eyes are descendents of this one blue eye man long long ago, so having 2 people from different places both with that eye color is strange to me. My family almost all of them had very blue eyes that is on my mothers side but on my dad's side they also had blue eyes just not this blue. Only my dad and I have green eyes. The eyes on these 2 men is a wonderful color.

earliest farmers did not have a diet limited by farming they still hunted and gathered from the forest as people still do.

Very interesting. Thank you

So massive fluctuations in the climate is normal for Britain ?

Cheddar man's dna does not prove how dark skinned he was ,it might have been olive ,or much darker ,but there is no way of knowing at present,and does it really mstter,?

Thank you for this documentary! ❤ No one ever believes me that early British people were dark skinned with blue eyes. It seems to make people very uncomfortable.

don`t some of us have a tiny amount of Neandethal dna?

The guy in the thumbnail looks like a bit like Leonardo Dicaprio...

Fascinating! Has it ever been concluded that Cheddar man spent his time guzzling beer and watching football while prolifically using the c word and belching like it's going out of fashion?

On the British shores, may I remember you that it’s connected to France Holland and dokkerland

Enjoyed that. Thank you.