New research refutes myth of pure Scandinavian race

[Aptrgangr]

New research refutes myth of pure Scandinavian race

A team of forensic scientists at the University of Copenhagen has studied human remains found in two ancient Danish burial grounds dating back to the iron age, and discovered a man who appears to be of arabian origin. The findings suggest that human beings were as genetically diverse 2000 years ago as they are today and indicate greater mobility among iron age populations than was previously thought. The findings also suggest that people in the Danish iron age did not live and die in small, isolated villages but, on the contrary, were in constant contact with the wider world.

On the southern part of the island of Zealand in Denmark, lie two burial grounds known as Bøgebjerggård and Skovgaarde, which date back to the Danish iron age (c. 0-400 BC). Linea Melchior and forensic scientists from the University of Copenhagen analysed the mitocondrial DNA of 18 individuals buried on the sites and found that there was as much genetic variation in their remains as one would expect to find in individuals of the present day. The research team also found DNA from a man, whose genetic characteristics indicate a man of Arabian origin.

The ancestors of the Danes were in contact with the wider world
Archeologists and anthropologists know today that the concept of a single scandinavian genetic type, a scandinavian race that wandered to Denmark, settled there, and otherwise lived in complete isolation from the rest of the world, is a fallacy.
"If you look at the geographic position of Denmark, "then it becomes clear that the Danes must have been in contact with other peoples," says scientist, Linea Melchior. "We know from other archeological excavations that there was a good deal of trade and exchange of goods between Denmark and other parts of Scandinavia and Europe. These lines of communication must have extended further south as one of the Danish burial grounds, which dates back to the iron age also contained the remains of a man, who appears to have been of arabian origin.

People from distant lands were absorbed in Danish iron age communities
At the beginning of the Danish iron age, the roman legions were based as far north as the river Elbe (on the border of northern Germany) and it is thought that the man of arabian descent found in the burial grounds in Southern Zealand would have either been a slave or a soldier in the roman army. It is probable that he possessed skills or special knowledge, which the people in Bøgebjerggård or Skovgaard settlements could make use of, or he could have been the descendant of a female of arabian origin, who for reasons unknown, had crossed the river Elbe and settled down with the inhabitants of Zealand.

"This discovery is comparable to the findings of a colleague of mine, who found a person of siberian origin on the Kongemarke site," continues scientist, Linea Melchior. He was buried on consecrated ground, just as the circumstances of the arab man's burial was identical to that of the locals. The discovery of the arab man indicates that people from distant parts of the world could be and were absorbed in Danish communities.

The iron age peoples moved away from their place of birth
"All of our ancestors, no matter when they arrived have contributed to our history and the development of our lifestyle," explains Linea Melchior. "Indeed, Danish identity is more a definition of where one is physically located and lives today than a question of our past history - since we're all originally african in origin. That we ended up in Europe was accidental, which is in itself remarkable".

"Another interesting feature of the approximately 50 graves assessed so far on the two sites and also from other burial sites and time periods in Danish history is that none of the individuals seem to be maternally related to one another", explains Linea Melchior. "We couldn't see any large families buried in the same location. This suggests that even as far back as the Danish iron age, people didn't live and die in the villages of their birth, as one would previously have imagined".

The findings have been published in the
American Journal of Physical Anthropology 135:206-215 (2008) and PLoS
One 3(5): e2214.

New research refutes myth of pure Scandinavian race; University of Copenhagen

The sceletons of some Arab merchants is evidence Scandianvia was not ethnically homogonous? Give me a break.
This liberal vermin is busy to prove their artificial, unnatural and vile multiculturalist ideology that aims the "heterogenization" of indigenus Europeans is natural and always has been.

[Lutiferre]

At least this tells us anthropology isnt only abused for political merit on the internet, but also by real life "scientists".

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by Lutiferre

At least this tells us anthropology isnt only abused for political merit on the internet, but also by real life "scientists".

That's an interpretation of the research. I think that I've read that study and I don't remember the team of scientists reaching any such conclusion.

[orieleye]

Originally Posted by Aptrgangr

New research refutes myth of pure Scandinavian race

A team of forensic scientists at the University of Copenhagen has studied human remains found in two ancient Danish burial grounds dating back to the iron age, and discovered a man who appears to be of arabian origin. The findings suggest that human beings were as genetically diverse 2000 years ago as they are today and indicate greater mobility among iron age populations than was previously thought. The findings also suggest that people in the Danish iron age did not live and die in small, isolated villages but, on the contrary, were in constant contact with the wider world.

Whether this arab lived in arabia or Denmark, it doesn't prove that Danes were mixed genetically with arabs.

The research team also found DNA from a man, whose genetic characteristics indicate a man of Arabian origin.

But it doesn't indicate he had any Danish ancestry. A pure arab doesn't mean there wasn't a pure Dane.

Archeologists and anthropologists know today that the concept of a single scandinavian genetic type, a scandinavian race that wandered to Denmark, settled there, and otherwise lived in complete isolation from the rest of the world, is a fallacy.

All this burial site shows is that there wasn't geographic isolation. The fallacy is to imply that shared geography means there were shared genes (as opposed to diverse genotypes).

he could have been the descendant of a female of arabian origin, who for reasons unknown, had crossed the river Elbe and settled down with the inhabitants of Zealand.

All his male ancestors could have been arab too. Again this says nothing about the ancestry of Danes.

"Another interesting feature of the approximately 50 graves assessed so far on the two sites and also from other burial sites and time periods in Danish history is that none of the individuals seem to be maternally related to one another", explains Linea Melchior.

I don't know enough about genetics to say whether this means they had a different ancestry, that they weren't 'pure' Danes, but this is the closest the article comes to supporting the wild title.

[Lutiferre]

The target of the conclusion is absurd anyway, being based on the false premise that anyone ever postulated the existence of a genetically or otherwise "pure Scandinavian race". Even if this one person who is seemingly "Arabian" intermixed with Danes, he was obviously found on Danish ground, and was absorbed by the society and larger gene pool and as such has no significance - certainly it doesnt indicate anything about the structure of the Iron Age society, and concluding anything about the society out of the maternal DNA of one individual found in some grave is just absurd beyond words. Seems like a desperate hunger for material that can be used for political propaganda in a case where the evidence desired is simply not there.

I dont know about the original findings, but in any case, this was published by the University of Copenhagen, and affirms their politicality. This state funded "research" is a perfect example of the infestation of multiculturalist doctrines in academic circles.

[IrishThirdPosition]

The scientist's name is Linea Melchior. This has Hebrew hands all over it.

[Weltschmerz]

It is well known that vikings took slaves. I'm afraid this is a silly piece of work.

[Menydh]

This is the original study: PLoS ONE: Evidence of Authentic DNA from Danish Viking Age Skeletons Untouched by Humans for 1,000 Years

[Kernunnos]

Originally Posted by Lutiferre

The target of the conclusion is absurd anyway, being based on the false premise that anyone ever postulated the existence of a genetically or otherwise "pure Scandinavian race". Even if this one person who is seemingly "Arabian" intermixed with Danes, he was obviously found on Danish ground, and was absorbed by the society and larger gene pool and as such has no significance - certainly it doesnt indicate anything about the structure of the Iron Age society, and concluding anything about the society out of the maternal DNA of one individual found in some grave is just absurd beyond words. Seems like a desperate hunger for material that can be used for political propaganda in a case where the evidence desired is simply not there.

I dont know about the original findings, but in any case, this was published by the University of Copenhagen, and affirms their politicality. This state funded "research" is a perfect example of the infestation of multiculturalist doctrines in academic circles.

Research have been made showing that researchers most often .. start researching with a goal in their minds and interpret their findings according to the mental construct they had in mind before starting their researches.

It isn't written in the tomb they opened that this man was part of a large movement, was married to a local and had a role different from that of a servant, or slave.

They are stretching data quite a bit. Serious archaeologists, and I now quite a bit of them, do not use to take such broad conclusions from a few specimens, but ours, despite all, are not generally politicized in their work.

Ours register data and make hypothesis, while when answering the public's questions are ever much more than cautious and most often refrain to take broad conclusions.

they know that evidence is scarce, also what appears a possible truth today can be overturned completely tomorrow by a new find.

[Kernunnos]

Originally Posted by Gnist

It is well known that vikings took slaves. I'm afraid this is a silly piece of work.

I wish I could know how she feels so sure about the arabian ethnicity, what if it was a sicilian raided by Vikings?

[Kernunnos]

Btw, Mrs Melchior is also ignorant or silly, if the man was buried in the Viking age, how can she derive from this behavioral data on the iron age????

If she isn't both this is further proof that she is clearly stretching data in a ridiculous manner to advance her agenda.

[Routasydän]

Originally Posted by Kernunnos

Btw, Mrs Melchior is also ignorant or silly, if the man was buried in the Viking age, how can she derive from this behavioral data on the iron age????

I'm not sure if I've understood you correctly but you seem to be implying that the Viking age was not part of the Iron Age. Up here, it was. "History" generally starts with the advent of Christianity and written records in the North.

At least in Finland the Viking age is part of the "Late Iron Age" (I think).

[Señor Malo]

First they say that Leonardo Da Vinci had an arab mother, now they say that there were arabs in iron Age Scandinavia.

Is everybody willing to please arabs or what?
Is this related with the sudden raise of oil price? They may be expect to get this way oil from the arabs at a better price?

BTW the skeleton of a man with arab genetic background probably is the proof that Michael Crichton's Eaters of the Dead was after all a true story


Seriously speaking , the presence of the isolated skeleton of man of arabic origin in an Scandinavia Iron Age is the proof of nothing as the opposite could happen too; just let's suppose that tomorrow they find the skeleton of a russian or scandinavian man in a Bagdad graveyard of the califate age. Would be that be the proof of the scandinavian contribution to the califate of Bagdad ?

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by wilpuri

I'm not sure if I've understood you correctly but you seem to be implying that the Viking age was not part of the Iron Age. Up here, it was. "History" generally starts with the advent of Christianity and written records in the North.

At least in Finland the Viking age is part o