The Etruscans came from Turkey

[Klingan]

This could be evry very interesting.

 

"They gave us the word "person" and invented a symbol of iron rule later adopted by the fascists. Some even argue it was they who really moulded Roman civilisation.

Yet the Etruscans, whose descendants today live in central Italy, have long been among the great enigmas of antiquity. Their language, which has never properly been deciphered, was unlike any other in classical Italy. Their origins have been hotly debated by scholars for centuries.

 

Genetic research made public at the weekend appears to put the matter beyond doubt, however. It shows the Etruscans came from the area which is now Turkey - and that the nearest genetic relatives of many of today's Tuscans and Umbrians are to be found, not in Italy, but around Izmir..."

 

Read more here

Edited July 12, 2010 by Klingan

[docoflove1974]

Wow, very interesting. I hadn't known about the linguistic link, although when I had last studied anything on it there were rumors of the link with Lemnos. Now I have to go back and check that out!

[guy]

Genetic research made public at the weekend appears to put the matter beyond doubt, however. It shows the Etruscans came from the area which is now Turkey - and that the nearest genetic relatives of many of today's Tuscans and Umbrians are to be found, not in Italy, but around Izmir..."

 

When I first read this a few years ago, I was very impressed with the research. Now, however, I'm a little more incredulous. Who is to say that the Turks living in that region are actually the same Turks of 2,500 years ago? I believe they have suffered multiple invasions, including the Greeks, Romans, Goths, Slavs, Arabs, and Mongols.

 

Similarly, the Italian source for persons of Etruscan origen are a question, too. They are of Etruscan heritage...because of their last names?

 

"...researchers took DNA samples from [italian] men with surnames unique to the district and whose families had lived there for at least three generations."

 

President Obama might have more Etruscan blood. A better source for DNA would have been known Etruscan remains since the Etruscans both buried their dead and buried their cremation remains.

 

 

guy also known as gaius

Edited July 17, 2010 by guy

[Viggen]

...anyone noticed that this article is from 2007?

[guy]

...anyone noticed that this article is from 2007?

 

This story was all the rage in the popular media a couple of years ago.

 

My question is the following:

 

If the DNA of the Etruscans have been found in a localized area in Turkey, what significance does this have? Many people have jumped to the conclusion that this means that that the Etruscans were originally immigrants from Turkey.

 

Why not the other way? Etruscans were well known for their travels beyond their homeland. Why couldn't this genetic finding represent an Etruscan colony in Turkey?

 

Or, why couldn't these genetic locations represent a much larger diaspora from a different source?

A very crude example is Norman blood. We know the Normans conquered England but they also visited Sicily. If I remember correctly, the Normands who lived in Normandy, France where originally from Scandanavia. If we find Norman blood in Sicily and Great Britain, can we conclude that the Sicilians colonized Great Britain?

 

A third possible explanation is that DNA samples found in sarcophagi probably represent the genetic remains of the ruling class and not the vast majority of Etruscans (who numbered hundreds of thousands-which is quite a large number for an immigrant community). Could we then draw the conclusion that Egyptians are of Greek descent since most Ptolemaic remains probably show a predominately Greek ethnicity? Or that the Greeks built the pyramids?

 

The popular media has a way of over-simplifying complicated research findings.

 

Any opinions or criticisms of what I've written would be appreciated. My personal opinion could be easily swayed on this matter.

 

 

On a lighter note, here are two videos are this topic:

 

http://www.classicsconfidential.co.uk/Clas...ruscan_DNA.html

 

 

guy also known as gaius

Edited July 14, 2010 by guy

[caldrail]

Turkey was the main distribution point of mankinds expansion out of Africa around 80,000 to 40,000 BC. Whatever civilisation existed then (and there are archaeological indications of an organised culture and spiritual life) was strongly based there.

[Klingan]

My apologies. I found it at work, had little time to read it and assumed that some further evidence had come forward (not thinking about the publishing date at all).

[Viggen]

no problem at all Klingan, did anyone hear or read any updates on this stury?

[cinzia8]

no problem at all Klingan, did anyone hear or read any updates on this stury?

 

Both my parents are Tuscan and my mother has always read about and connected us with Etruscans. She claimed that Etruscan origins were believed to be semitic.

 

Cinzia