Y Chromosomes Sketch New Outline of British History

NY Times ^ | May 27, 2003 | NICHOLAS WADE

[Pharmboy]

Some mighty interesting stuff in here...if you're interested in this sort of thing. I am and I know soem other Freepers are too.

[Pharmboy]

*Anthropology Ping* (and tell all your Celtic friends...)

[Cicero]

Yes, it's an interesting article. And not all that surprising, really. The majority of the population at most times consisted of peasants and serfs, and there's no reason to think they would have all been killed or ousted when new conquerors moved in.

Some French historians of the annales school have pointed out that there's more continuity over the centuries when you look at peasants' huts and villages than there is in manors and castles, because invaders usually go after the manors and castles. The fighting takes place mainly within the fighting classes, which are the nobility and gentry. Peasants get killed, but there's no particular incentive to wipe them out as there would be with competing nobility.

[LiteKeeper]

Genetic SPOTREP

[3AngelaD]

Wonderful!! More, please sir, more.

[Servant of the Nine]

The Celtic inhabitants of Britain were real survivors. Nowhere were they entirely replaced by the invaders and they survive in high proportions, often 50 percent or more, throughout the British Isles ...

Well of course they do.

Just Remember Andy Capp

He was never politically correct, but he sure was realistic.

So9

[Snerfling]

majority of the population at most times consisted of peasants and serfs, and there's no reason to think they would have all been killed

The 'serf' survival strategy is still with us today in the form of bureaucracies. The key to success is to never stand out amongst the rest ie the even hedge theory. Only the top level players win or lose.

[Servant of the Nine]

Or better here

Andy Capp

So9

[blam]

Good article , thanks.

" In a study two years ago Dr. Goldstein and colleagues established that Y chromosomes of Celtic populations were almost identical with those of the Basques.

Is anyone suprised?

My favorite theory is that most Europeans are descendents of the refugees from the flood of the Black Sea (Noah's Flood?) in 5,600BC.
Linguists have traced the origins of all the Indo-European languages to that region. (Traced mainly through words used by farmers)

However, Cheddar Man does not fit into that scheme.

[blam]

Ancestry Of Europeans Traced To Middle East

[Savage Beast]

Looks to me like those Celtic men had the last laugh. It also looks like they had an (understandable) hankering for those Scandanavian babes.

[blam]

Archaeologists Find Celts In Unlikely Spot: Central Turkey

[MonroeDNA]

Highly interesting and informative article. Please post more here, when you can.

I'd love to get my Y chromosomes tested.

[blam]

Unearthed: The Prince Of Stonehenge

[Pharmboy]

I'd love to get my Y chromosomes tested.

That might not be a bad business to start: "Get to know your origins, men! Give us a bit of your inside cheek (the scraping won't hurt a bit) and we'll tell you what's in your background! Perhaps a bit of a Dutchman or a Swede, an Italian or a Mede! A Slav, or a Jew, a Moor or Bantu!

I'm just being silly, but maybe we can start an internet Freeper business doing this--whatcha think, Jim?

[Pharmboy]

And you do know, of course, that the Romans never fought in Ireland 'cause they feared those crazy Celts! ('Tis true!)

[Servant of the Nine]

And you do know, of course, that the Romans never fought in Ireland 'cause they feared those crazy Celts! ('Tis true!)

Well, it makes a good story. If the Romans had not had internal trouble they would have conquered the Picts and the Irish wouldn't have been far behind..

So9

[Pharmboy]

Another good story goes down for the truth (you sound like you know more about this than I do, mate).

[Pharmboy]

Brit bump!