DNA clue to origins of early Greek civilization

BBC ^ | 8/3/17 | BBC

[ek_hornbeck]

DNA is shedding light on the people who built Greece's earliest civilizations.

Researchers analysed genetic data from skeletons dating to the Bronze Age, a period marked by the emergence of writing, complex urban planning and magnificent art and architecture.

These ancient Aegean people were mostly descended from farmers who had settled the region thousands of years earlier.

But they showed signs of genetic - and possibly cultural - contact with people to the north and to the east.

Dr Iosif Lazaridis, from Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts, and colleagues focussed on burials from the Minoan civilization, which flourished on the island of Crete from 2,600 to 1,100 BC, and the Mycenaean culture, which was existed across Greece from 1,600 -1,100 BC.

[ek_hornbeck]

It's interesting that they found no evidence of Phoenician ancestry among the Ancient Greeks:

By contrast, the researchers found no evidence for proposed migrations to Greece from ancient Egypt or from the areas of the eastern Mediterranean occupied by the Phoenician sea-faring culture.

[BenLurkin]

The major migrations into Europe always come out of the steppes.

[BenLurkin]

The major migrations into Europe always come out of the steppes.

[RoosterRedux]

This is the same doctor who discovered that the Lebanese are from--wait for it--ancient Lebanon.

[ameribbean expat]

Try telling that to the Italians these days...

[ek_hornbeck]

This is the same doctor who discovered that the Lebanese are from--wait for it--ancient Lebanon.

I'm not sure what you think is wrong with that study. It's not self-evident that the people who live in a place now are descended from people who lived there thousands of years ago, since people migrate, get displaced, die out, etc. For example, most of the people living in Egypt today are probably not descended from the Ancient Egyptians.

[jrd]

what haplogroup ?

[BenLurkin]

Indeed!

[blam]

"These nomadic livestock herders from the Steppe had a major impact on the gene pools of Northern and Central Europe."

These People:

The Curse Of The Red-Headed Mummy

(One day, I hope they will begin to include the DNA haplogroups when DNA/genes are mentioned)

It is my opinion that these steppe people went there after the Black Sea Flood.
There were Caucasian (the steppe people) only graveyards being used in Xinjiang, China as recent as 1300 AD.

Genetic Testing Reveals Awkward Truth About Xinjiang’s Famous Mummies (Caucasian)

[ek_hornbeck]

The linked Nature paper should have that information, unfortunately you need to pay for access to the article.

[Nifster]

That’s right because they had Angela Merkel borders

BWAHAHAHAHA

[Ray76]

North & east... probably from around the Sea of Azov

[GOPJ]

Thanks for the link...

[mountainlion]

“The researchers don’t know exactly....”

After doing my own DNA if find more and more unanswered questions than answers. Professional guesswork.

[BigEdLB]

Crimea. Here we go again

[blam]

[Vic S]

He should do a study on the people of Israel. Are the current inhabitants even Semitic? Would be interesting to see the results, assuming they could be trusted.

[bar sin·is·ter]

[Ancesthntr]

“It’s interesting that they found no evidence of Phoenician ancestry among the Ancient Greeks:”

---

I would think that the sea-faring peoples of Phoenicia and environs would have come FROM Greece. There was an influx of “sea peoples” around 1200 BCE to the area (that’s probably where the Philistines came from, at least partly).

[Ancesthntr]

“The major migrations into Europe always come out of the steppes.”

---

Not anymore.