• Science vs. The Venerable Bede

Britain’s transition from a Roman to an Anglo-Saxon culture in the middle of the first millennium CE is a poorly understood period in time despite a long history of inquiry into its causes. Archaeologists once readily assumed that the British Isles were settled by successive waves of invaders from the European continent, beginning in the Neolithic and culminating in the settlement of large parts of Britain by Germanic Angles, Saxons, and Jutes between the 5th and 7th centuries, CE. These assumptions aligned with – and were often the result of – the traditional narratives of the Venerable Bede.

This traditional narrative is, however, challenged and contradicted by many aspects of the archaeological record, as several researchers have pointed out. These discrepancies have become more apparent as archaeological investigative tools have become more sophisticated and prevalent. Despite these inconsistencies, however, many researchers still seek to frame their conclusions to fit the traditional narrative presented by medieval historical sources, most notably the Venerable Bede.

This investigation compares the results of three DNA studies published since 2002 investigating the impact of early medieval migrants or invaders from mainland Europe on the genetic makeup of the modern British population. All three employed similar methodology using paternal Y-chromosome DNA, with samples taken from sites across Britain as well as mainland Europe.

A review of these three major DNA analyses published since 2002 clearly demonstrates the impact which the personal beliefs of the authors – and their respective faith in the long-established historical narrative - have on the inferences they draw from their observations. Despite their use of similar methodology, the authors present vastly different conclusions. The discrepancies in these findings illustrate the weight which traditional paradigms still bring to bear on today’s researchers, despite their use of advanced scientific techniques.