It changed the picture of the past that scientists and the public carry.

Not completely — the full picture remains unclear in many dimensions, and will remain unclear until more letters from more people in more places are found and read.

But the Cheddar Man letter added something specific and important to the picture.

The dark-skinned, blue-eyed, curly-haired young man from the limestone cave of Somerset is part of the story of who we are and where we come from.

His genetics are in the modern British genome, diluted but present.