Posted on 05/06/2008 8:59:53 AM PDT by blam
Our Celtic roots lie in Spain and Portugal
May 5 2008 by Darren Devine, Western Mail
THE Welsh have more in common with sun-kissed glamour pusses like actress Penelope Cruz and footballer Christiano Ronaldo than pale- faced Germans like Helmet Kohl, according to an academic.
Professor John Koch suggests the Welsh can trace their ancestry back to Portugal and Spain, debunking the century-old received wisdom that our forebears came from Iron Age Germany and Austria.
His radical work on Celtic origins flatly contradicts the writing of Sir John Rhys, who in the late 19th century established the idea that we originally came from central Europe.
Sir John believed the Celts were the remnants of a great culture that extended here from modern-day eastern France, Switzerland, southern Germany and Austria.
But Professor Koch, of the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies, in Aberystwyth, says archaeological inscriptions on stones show we came from southern Portugal and south-west Spain.
He said: “Celts are said to come from west central Europe – Austria, southern Germany, eastern France and that part of the world.
“That’s been the theory that everybody has grown up with for at least 100 years.
“There is evidence that the Celtic languages were spoken there because of place names and people’s names.
“But the assumption was that was where they came from. I think they got there later.
“There is evidence in Spain and Portugal indicating they were there 500 or more years before.”
Professor Koch says there are Celtic texts in Portugal and Spain way before they started springing up in central Europe during Roman times.
One key piece of evidence is the earliest written language of western Europe – Tartessian, found on inscribed stones in Portugal and Spain dating back to between 800BC and 400BC. The professor maintains this language can be deciphered as Celtic.
Expert on Welsh history and archaeology Dr Raimund Karl, says there is also biological and genetic evidence to support professor Koch’s theory.
He said: “In the last couple of years there have been a number of genetic studies of human DNA indicating that the population of much of the western part of the British Isles is related to other communities along the Atlantic seafront. These include Brittany, northern Spain, Portugal and the French Atlantic coast. That’s their genetic origin.”
But Dr Karl, of the University of Wales, Bangor, said there is also archaeological evidence suggesting a cultural link with central Europe.
“There is evidence suggesting a link with central Europe from elite-material culture – stuff associated with the upper parts of society. This includes weaponry, feasting equipment, artwork on jewellery and other prestigious items.”
However the academic said attempts to identify a biological Celt or notions of cultures emanating from a particular spot are meaningless. He believes human cultures and populations are constantly in a state of flux, drawing their influences from far and wide.
Dr Karl, himself an Austrian, added: “I personally think the question of where Celtic culture originated is by and large meaningless. Culture is constantly changing and never has a single point of origin.
“The biological Celt is meaningless because human populations inter-mingle.”
Professor Koch will speak at Bangor University tomorrow at the main arts theatre at 6pm
Celts, Germans, Latins and Slavs all speak Indo-European who are believed to have come from the East. Ancient peoples who first settled Europe probably spoke something akin to Basque. Europeans are a hybrid race. Why they chose Indo-European languages over their ancient tongues remains a mystery.
Cool article. Interesting to see what modern investigative techniques can do to dusty old theories put forth by bored Englishmen (or Welshmen as the case may be). :)
As an aside, after weathering the last ice age on the Iberian peninsula it would appear that the Celts took Europe by storm. Archaeological and literary evidence shows that the Celts made it all the way to modern-day Turkey and beyond. One of the Greek historians specifically mentioned tribes of Keltoi living in Anatolia.
I'll play along:
"The Tocharians were the easternmost speakers of an Indo-European language in antiquity, inhabiting the Tarim basin in what is now Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, northwestern People's Republic of China. "
My late father called us 'Black Irish' and our surname (begins w/ a 'J') was unique in that 'J' surnames came from the Spanish influence. I could never find anything to trully refute or substantiate his 'J' theory...but anecdotally we really don't (as a family unit) look 'Irish.'
:)PaMom
What is the ‘J’ name? I may be able to tell you something about it.
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Thanks Blam. Those Celts -- they got around. |
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Although my *immediate* ancestry is heavily weighted towards Irish/Scots & Danish, there are a lot of Welsh in my genetic wood pile.
I do not have the coloration of my parents or even my grandparents.
The family branch which I most resemble are my Welsh cousins and aunts/uncles.
Though my parents are tall, fair-skinned, blonde people with blue eyes, I am shorter, auburn and green-eyed.
I don’t “look like” my parents very much at all, except for a passing resemblance to my dad who resembles to a much less extent, the Welsh side.
The hair and eyes aren’t the most different features...my skin color is.
It’s not “olive” and it’s not “sallow”.
It’s a strange, light golden tone that never goes completely “white”, even in winter.
I do not sunburn or “tan”.
I only turn the color of light toast, almost exactly, no matter how much sun I get.
My folks often made cracks about me being “left by the Gypsies”.
After going to your about page I can see why ;)
I was later kidnapped by bikers....;-D
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