DNA Captured From 2,500-Year-Old Phoenician

seeker.com ^

[BenLurkin]

This is the first ancient DNA to be obtained from Phoenician remains.

Known as “Ariche,” the young man came from Byrsa, a walled citadel above the harbor of ancient Carthage. Byrsa was attacked by the Roman general Scipio Aemilianus “Africanus” in the Third Punic War. It was destroyed by Rome in 146 B.C.

Analysis of the skeleton revealed the man died between the age of 19 and 24, had a rather robust physique and was 1.7 meters (5’6″) tall. He may have belonged to the Carthaginian elite, as he was buried with gems, scarabs, amulets and other artifacts.

Now genetic research carried out by a team co-led by Lisa Matisoo-Smith at New Zealand’s University of Otago has shown the man belonged to a rare European haplogroup — known as U5b2cl — that likely links his maternal ancestry to the North Mediterranean coast, probably on the Iberian Peninsula.

Published in the journal PLOS ONE, the findings provide the earliest evidence of the European mitochondrial haplogroup U5b2cl in North Africa, dating its arrival to at least the late sixth century BC.

[BenLurkin]

ping

[PapaBear3625]

Carthage started out as a Phoenician colony, with the Phoenicians being from what is now Lebanon.

[Larry Lucido]

“Ariche,”

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Interesting. The Phoenicians had extensive interests in what is Modern Spain.

[Doogle]

[Pelham]

Looks like Johnny Manziel with a curly wig. His bros probably offed him for being a jerk.

[SkyDancer]

Captured? Like it was fighting to keep it? ..... :)

[sevlex]

Looks a little like Carlos Danger to me.

[bgill]

For shame! How dare you label the remains a “man”! The remains could very well have self identified as a she or a penguin or a lotus blossom.

[MUDDOG]

Lead singer in Jefferson Bireme.

[BenLurkin]

Excellent

[Moonman62]

This is the first ancient DNA to be obtained from Phoenician remains.

...

Will there be a Phoenician Park?

[BenLurkin]

Kids under the age of two get free rides on Moloch, the world’s hottest new theme park ride.

[DCBryan1]

You bastard!

[Olog-hai]

Yes, it’s an anagram of “Archie”, or vice-versa. But I thought of this one.

[Doogle]

*grins*

[mountainlion]

What

He wasn’t Neanderthal?

[georgiegirl]

LOL! more like “Eric” I would think..

[Ancesthntr]

I was thinking along the same lines. What, they had to trap him after a long chase?