The Teacher from Somerset and His 9,100-Year Old Ancestor
In the quiet village of Cheddar, Somerset, where limestone cliffs rise dramatically from pastoral English countryside, history isn’t just buried beneath the ground—it walks the streets, teaches in classrooms, and goes home for tea each evening.
This remarkable reality came to light in 1997 when Adrian Targett, a mild-mannered history teacher at Kings of Wessex Community School, discovered that he is the direct maternal descendant of Britain’s most famous ancient resident: Cheddar Man, whose 9,100-year-old remains were found in nearby Gough’s Cave in 1903.
A Discovery That Rewrote Human Connection
The DNA link between Targett and Cheddar Man represents the farthest traced descendant by genetic analysis, spanning some 300 generations. This extraordinary connection was established through mitochondrial DNA analysis, which traces maternal lineage with remarkable precision. Mitochondrial DNA passes directly from mother to child, creating an unbroken genetic thread that, in this case, stretches back nearly ten millennia.
The discovery occurred during the filming of a television documentary exploring ancient DNA techniques. “I am overwhelmed, a bit surprised,” said Adrian Targett when presented with the results, though his reaction was characteristically understated for a man who had just learned he carried the genetic legacy of Britain’s Mesolithic past.
What makes this connection even more extraordinary is geography. Targett lives just half a mile from where Cheddar Man’s skeleton was discovered, suggesting that this family line has remained remarkably localised for over nine thousand years—a testament to the deep roots some families have in the British landscape.
Cheddar Man: Portrait of Britain’s Ancient Past
Cheddar Man represents one of the oldest nearly complete human skeletons found in Britain, dating to approximately 7150 BC. He lived during the Mesolithic period, when Britain was still connected to continental Europe by a land bridge called Doggerland, and when hunter-gatherer communities roamed landscapes vastly different from today’s manicured countryside.
For over a century after his discovery, scientists could only speculate about Cheddar Man’s appearance. However, revolutionary advances in ancient DNA analysis have painted a vivid picture that challenged long-held assumptions about early Britons. “Cheddar Man” had dark skin, blue eyes and dark curly hair when he lived in what is now southwest England 10,000 years ago.
This genetic portrait, revealed through collaboration between University College London and the Natural History Museum, fundamentally altered our understanding of ancient British populations. Cheddar Man has the genetic markers of skin pigmentation usually associated with sub-Saharan Africa, a discovery consistent with other Mesolithic human remains found throughout Europe.
The striking combination of dark skin and blue eyes reflects a population that had not yet developed the genetic adaptations for lighter skin pigmentation that would later become common in northern European populations. Pale skin is better at absorbing UV light and helps humans avoid vitamin D deficiency in climates with less sunlight, suggesting that the evolutionary pressure for lighter skin developed after Cheddar Man’s time.
The Science Behind the Connection
The genetic analysis that linked Cheddar Man to Adrian Targett focused on mitochondrial DNA haplogroup U5. Both Cheddar Man and Targett belong to mitochondrial DNA haplogroup U5, indicating a direct maternal lineage connection between the two. Research shows that U5 was the main haplogroup of Mesolithic European hunter gatherers, present at 83% in European hunter gatherers before the influx of Middle Eastern farmers. While this shared haplogroup demonstrates a common maternal ancestor, the specific nature of ancient DNA analysis means that Targett is one of many people who could claim this ancient connection—though none have been definitively traced across such an extraordinary span of time.
DNA was discovered in the pulp cavity of one of Cheddar Man’s molars and tested at the Institute of Molecular Medicine at Oxford University. The extraction and analysis of ancient DNA from teeth represents one of the most reliable methods for obtaining genetic material from archaeological remains, as the hard enamel provides excellent preservation conditions.
The mitochondrial DNA analysis revealed not just the connection to modern populations, but also insights into ancient migration patterns and the genetic diversity of early European populations. Recent studies support hypotheses that haplogroup U5 mtDNAs expanded throughout Northern, Southern and Central Europe with more recent expansions into Western Europe and Africa. The techniques used in this groundbreaking research have since become standard practice in archaeological genetics, opening new windows into human prehistory.
A Window Into Mesolithic Life
Cheddar Man’s world was one of dramatic environmental change and human adaptation. He lived during a period when Britain’s landscape was transforming as the last Ice Age ended and sea levels rose. The Somerset Levels, now drained agricultural land, were then vast wetlands teeming with wildlife.
His community would have been small, likely consisting of extended family groups that moved seasonally to exploit different resources. They crafted sophisticated stone tools, including flint axes for felling trees and adzes for working wood, as well as a variety of smaller flint tools and microlithic implements that were mounted as points or barbs in arrows and harpoons. These Mesolithic hunter-gatherers hunted deer and wild boar, gathered nuts and berries, and probably had intricate knowledge of their local environment that far exceeded anything we might possess today.
The caves of Cheddar Gorge provided shelter and may have held spiritual significance. Archaeological evidence suggests these caves were used intermittently over thousands of years, creating layers of human occupation that tell the story of Britain’s earliest inhabitants.
Modern Implications of Ancient Connections
The link between Cheddar Man and Adrian Targett challenges our understanding of human migration and settlement patterns. In an age of global mobility, the idea that a family line could remain geographically stable for nearly 10,000 years seems almost impossible. Yet here lies the evidence, written in the very structure of DNA itself.
This discovery has implications beyond mere curiosity. It demonstrates the power of modern genetic techniques to illuminate human history and challenges assumptions about the mobility of ancient populations. It also highlights the continuity of human settlement in certain landscapes, suggesting that some locations have held enduring appeal for human habitation across millennia.
For Adrian Targett, the revelation transformed his understanding of his own place in history. As a history teacher, he had spent years educating students about the past—never knowing that he carried within his cells the genetic memory of Britain’s ancient inhabitants.
The Broader Context of Ancient DNA Research
The Cheddar Man-Targett connection represents just one example of how ancient DNA research is revolutionising our understanding of human prehistory. Similar studies across Europe have revealed complex patterns of migration, genetic diversity, and population replacement that challenge traditional archaeological narratives.
Recent advances in DNA extraction and analysis techniques have made it possible to obtain genetic information from increasingly ancient and degraded remains. These methods are providing unprecedented insights into everything from ancient diseases and diets to migration routes and population genetics.
The field of archaeogenetics continues to evolve rapidly, with new discoveries regularly reshaping our understanding of human history. Each ancient genome sequenced adds another piece to the complex puzzle of human evolution and migration.
Living History
Perhaps the most profound aspect of the Cheddar Man story is what it reveals about the nature of history itself. We often think of the past as distant and disconnected from our daily lives, something that exists only in museums and textbooks. Yet here, in the person of Adrian Targett, we see that history lives within us, carried forward through generations by the elegant molecular machinery of inheritance.
The story resonates because it makes the abstract concept of deep time tangible and personal. It reminds us that we are all part of an unbroken chain of ancestry stretching back to the dawn of human existence, and that the past is not just something we study—it is something we embody.
In classrooms across Britain, Adrian Targett continues to teach history, though now with the unique perspective of someone who doesn’t just know about the past—he carries it within his very DNA. His story stands as a testament to the enduring connections that bind us to our ancestors and to the landscapes they called home.
The caves of Cheddar Gorge continue to attract visitors from around the world, drawn by the dramatic limestone formations and the rich archaeological heritage they contain. But now they hold an additional significance as the resting place of Britain’s most famous ancient ancestor—and the proof that sometimes, remarkably, home truly is where the family has always been.
In an age of constant change and global mobility, the story of Cheddar Man and Adrian Targett offers a profound reminder of the deep roots that connect us to place, to family, and to the ancient currents of human history that flow through our genes and across our landscapes, linking past and present in ways we are only beginning to understand.
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Thought for the day:
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Wayne Dyer
