When I say that, if they had 5 kids, that is net. That is including the many that would die as a fetus or prior to age 5.
However, even if you knock it down to 3 kids, it would still only take a little more than 1,000 years to do that exact same thing.
My point is that the bulk of the story is probably correct. Mathematically speaking, 70 people is a reasonable starting point for a population to start from.
There might have been a lot more octo-moms back then, too.
I agree, but it still discounts the Cherokee-Greek connection. I think there is in incredible story there.