The Indigenous population of Hampshire

[Redroger]

What was not apparent in the programs, but is non the less a fact, is that DNA degrades, and it becomes increasingly difficult to isolate viable DNA the older a bone is or the more degraded its condition.

[kliffy]

Hello,

On the History Cold Case programme on BBC2, there where cases where DNA could not be extracted, yes, it does depend on the condition.

Kliffy

[jh57]

You could try Romsey or Fordingbridge.

I have a Sally/Sarah  Rogers, born 1784, I think from Hampshire, working in Salisbury just before her marriage in 1817.

[kath davis]

Dave, knowing your area, from your other posting, Romsey would certainly be the 'local' market town - you can walk it in well under an hour from Michelmersh.

You may also be interested in http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/projects/hampshire/michelmersh/index.html these pots were found quite recently - at least I can remember the excitement - so you could be decended from the Saxons.

Another interesting feature, at Timsbury are the old fishing lakes of the Kings of Wessex - recently taken over by Solent University for 'big boat' training.  http://www.warsashacademy.co.uk/facilities/trainingfacilities/timsbury/timsbury-lake.aspx and there is the C13 Manor Farm, a former Priory.

Kath

[Dave the Walrus]

Hi Kath and jh,

Thanks for all of that information. There's a lot to be going on with.

Best wishes,

Dave

[Redroger]

Regarding the pots on the Wessex archaeology website, in my limited experience with the Saxons, these poits appear to be of very high quality, and wheel thrown too! The earlier Saxons were largely aceramic, and where there was pottery it often takes an expert to distinguish it between Iron Age pottery, showing that in this aspect at least the fall of Rome caused a regression of 1,000 years. In case readers are wondering what Saxons ate off, many of their vessels were made of wood or skins and the survival of these items is extremely limited.