ANALYSIS of skeletons at an Anglo-Saxon burial ground has revealed the life expectancy of Britons increased following the fall of the Roman Empire.

Professor Robin Fleming, of Boston College in the US, said studies of graves at a 5th to 7th Century cemetery at West Heslerton, near Pickering, North Yorkshire, highlighted that on average, the resident Britons' lifespan was two years longer than their ancestors who had paid taxes to Rome.

The site, that has been studied since 1978, is the only place in England where a complete Early Anglo-Saxon cemetery and its associated settlement have been excavated and recorded using modern techniques.

Prof Fleming said the end of the Roman taxes, which had been ratcheted up after the empire stopped expanding to finance the regime, led to people being able to afford more nutritious food.

Presenting the research at a American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in California, she said studies of graves had found on average men lived until their early 40s, while women lived until around 35 due to the risks of giving birth.

Asked if the fall of the Roman Empire was good for Britain, Prof Fleming said: “If you are a villa owner, no.

"But it you are part of the 97 per cent of the rest, then, yes, it might add a couple of years to your life which makes a difference."

She said studies of the bones had also revealed the inhabitants of the settlement had previously eaten food from a wetter climate and may moved from west Britain, which was surprising as there had been a consensus that larger scale migrations were from east to west during the period.