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To: theBuckwheat
Your links were interesting and I learned more about the Scythians (whom I did not realize gave rise to the Germanic tribes). However, a middle eastern origin is not supported by genetic studies reported in wiki:

"A number of studies on ancient DNA recovered from Scythian kurgan burials were published in the 2000s.

"In a 2009 study, the haplotypes and haplogroups of 26 ancient human specimens from the Krasnoyarsk area in Siberia dated from between the middle of the second millennium BC. to the 4th century AD (Scythian and Sarmatian timeframe). Nearly all subjects belong to haplogroup R1a1-M17. The study authors suggest that their data shows that between Bronze and Iron Ages, the constellation of populations known variously as Scythians, Andronovians, etc. were blue (or green)-eyed, fair-skinned and light-haired people which might have played a role in the early development of the Tarim Basin civilization.[18]

"In a 2004 study, analysis of the HV1 sequence obtained from a male Scytho-Siberian's remains at the Kizil site in the Altai Republic revealed the individual possessed the N1a maternal lineage.[19] Mitochondrial DNA has been extracted from two Scytho-Siberian skeletons found in the Altai Republic (Russia). Both remains were determined to be of males from a population who had characteristics "of mixed Euro-Mongoloid origin". One of the individuals was found to carry the F2a maternal lineage, and the other the D lineage, both of which are characteristic of East Eurasian populations.[20]

"In a 2002 study, maternal genetic analysis of Saka period male and female skeletal remains from a double inhumation kurgan located at the Beral site in Kazakhstan was analysed. The two individuals were found to be not closely related and were possibly husband and wife. The HV1 mitochondrial sequence of the male was similar to the Anderson sequence which is most frequent in European populations. Contrary, the HV1 sequence of the female suggested a greater likelihood of Asian origins.[21]"

8 posted on 09/01/2012 8:37:33 AM PDT by Pharmboy (Democrats lie because they must.)
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To: Pharmboy
The term "Scythian" is vague -- it basically means people from a place, the place being north of Greece

At different times this has meant ethnically different peoples -- from Irani Sarmatians and Alans (ancestors of modern day Ossetians and plausibly Croatians) to Slavic peoples to Germanic Heruli, goths etc.

Just like the term Phoenician -- the people who lived in what is called Phoenicia didn't have a common identity but were Canaanites related to the Hebrews and spoke a semitic tongue

17 posted on 09/27/2012 12:01:55 AM PDT by Cronos (**Marriage is about commitment, cohabitation is about convenience.**)
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To: Pharmboy
The entire area from Germania to what is now Uighuristan/Xinjiang was indo-european, of various i-e types.

The Turkic people came later, around the 3rd century after being pushed by the Han Chinese

What is now Central Asia was, until the Mongols, Greater Iran

The Mongols slaughtered perhaps 75% of the Irani population and this was replaced by Turkic peoples

Also, many present day Turkic peoples are not really Turkic in ethnicity -- like the Turks who have majority Greek/Anatolian blood, to Azerbaijanis who are by blood Irani, to Uzbeks who are a mix but more Irani.

18 posted on 09/27/2012 12:04:42 AM PDT by Cronos (**Marriage is about commitment, cohabitation is about convenience.**)
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