[Jeff Chandler]

old European societies were . . . matriarchal . . . life was remarkably peaceful.

Mutually exclusive conditions.

[BobS]

I spent some time in northern Spain and met some Basque people. Fine people that spoke in English to me- probably just to practice my own language. They live on some of the most fertile ground in Europe to grow things on. Very green veggies. Lambs that taste really good.

If I could do over now, I would live there and marry a wife that says screw the big cities, it's fine just exactly where we are right now.

[taxesareforever]

I am surprised that the scientists are "puzzled". They normally have an answer for everything. Not always correct but it is an answer.

[Thinkin' Gal]

Ping.

[Jack Hammer]

Fascinating stuff - nice find!

[RoadTest]

"Why Euskera resisted the Indo-European and later Roman and other invasions and finally the onslaught of the Spanish language is also a mystery."

It's a fascinating subject.

If the Celtic dialects are known to linguists and relate to other languages, then this suggests that these people preceded the Celts in Europe, and perhaps were driven back into the district they're in now by the invading Celts.

[metmom]

bump for later read

[Eastbound]

"Shibumi" -- a Travanian tale of an assassin with strange talents who lives in the Basque region contains some interesting insights of the Basques.

[Hiddigeigei]

The Basque are thought to have been fishing American waters and salting their cod on the American mainland before Columbus.When Jacque Cartier "discovered' the mouth of the Saint Lawrence, he noted the presence of 1,000 Basque fishing vessels (Cod, by Mark Kurlansky, p. 29.).

[RightWhale]

An ice-cream shop has a sign saying 'izozkiak.'

Does that sound stone-age?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Thinkin' Gal.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

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[WoofDog123]

"....before the arrival of the war-like, patriarchal Indo-Europeans.

....have led some scholars to conclude that old European societies were at least partly matriarchal and that life was remarkably peaceful.
"

Talk about someone carrying their bias around open....

[after dark]

Since the Basque population contain huge numbers of people who are O-, it is not surprising that their language could not survive an influx of people from the east. Language is passed from mother to child. In the past an O- woman could only have one child at most if she married a rhesus positive husband. Tauregs of the Atlas mountains have an even higher percentage of O- negative people than the Basques.
I must admit I love the far out theories about O- people being descendants of aliens , Neanderthals, and Atlanteans. I tease my O- husband about this all the time.

[S0122017]

One thing, however, seems certain: Euskera is very, very old. Several words meaning tools such as axes or hoes begin with the word 'aitz' (stone), indicating they could date from a time when they were made of stone.

Cool

[jordan8]

Europe was like before the arrival of the war-like, patriarchal Indo-Europeans. Certain traditions, such as the strong position of women and the worship of the goddess Mari, have led some scholars to conclude that old European societies were at least partly matriarchal and that life was remarkably peaceful.

Hahaha, they never quit, to they?

[Mat_Helm]

My Great Grandfather (atachi) John Ualde sold his vineyard and large house in France near Lourdes in the late 1930's bringing his wife and 7 children. He raised sheep in Nevada on the eastern slopes of the Sierra mountains near Mindon and Gardnerville. My grandfather Peter Cherimberro came over from the old country as well. Several uncles carrried on the sheep business in the central valley of California after John moved to Madera. Three of my mothers uncles fought in WWII. One with the 1'st Marine division at Guadal Canal and one landed with the 4'th ID at Utah beach D+2. He was a radio signal man who much like the Navajo Indian radio talkers in the Pacific was paired up with other Basque American soldiers. The German's could not pick up anything they said in Basque according to my uncle. He received two bronze stars, one for crossing the Meurs river under enemy fire carrying a radio wire. My mother is full Basque but does not speak the language, but I used to love to listen to my grandmother (muchi)talk with her brothers and sisters. They would start off in English and when the discussion warmed up it would go to Spanish or French and if the talk heated up it would always end in Basque.

[David Allen]

Thanks for posting. Fascinating topic.

[Ptarmigan]

Basque is a very interesting language. Some people think it is language of Cro-Magnon Man. I have also read it could be related to Navajo, Apache, Inuit, Georgian, and Ket.

[Dustbunny]

Very interesting. Wonder if they have done any DNA sampling?

[LadyDoc]

the only area of the US where there are a lot of Basques is Idaho, where Basque shepherds and their families were imported.
My next door neighbor was a Basque, but didn't speak the language, although he parents spoke a little.