Eastbourne Ancestors

A story of life from the bones of the past

Heritage Eastbourne has over 350 skeletons in our archaeological collections from a variety of sites. The majority of these individuals are from an Anglo-Saxon period cemetery on the site of the former Eastbourne College of Art and Technology, St. Anne's Road.

Eastbourne Ancestors was a project that resulted in a fascinating exhibition throughout 2014.

The Ancestors Project saw volunteers come together to help us discover as much as we could about the individuals in our collection. Through thousands of hours of scientific analysis, investigation, planning and 3D reconstruction, this ground-breaking project revealed the incredible stories of Eastbourne's Ancestors. 

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, this project began in 2012 and is the first time such an extensive examination has taken place on one collection in the UK.

Download the project report here