History + genealogy = nerd-gasm! Or puzzle lover's delight. Orrrrr family lore. :)
And we get all of this by way of a talented storyteller in Bryan Sykes.
This is notchur grandma's dry just the facts ma'am kinda scientific examination: there be mystery, drama, discovery, humor and more up in this ancestral joint. There are many 'wow' moments, and theories that cause the thinky thoughts.
I know a decent amount of history about various areas in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. I've added even more during the last five years or so in working my family tree: some of my ancestors mentioned as a part of providing context for Sykes' genetic research are 27th great grandfather William the Conqueror, 29th great uncle Edward the Confessor, 1st cousin Cnut King of the Danes, 33rd great grandfather King Alfred the Great of Wessex, 31st great grandfather Hrolfe aka Rollo of Norway, 22nd great grandmother Marjorie Bruce, 23rd great grandfather Robert the Bruce, 43rd great grandfather Aidan King of Dal Riata, and more.
Through genetics, we get a better idea about different migrations, origins and patterns both. Or, even better, we're permitted to ponder some interesting possibilities. In example of the former: one of the Y-chromosomes widely found in Ireland also crops up among the Basques and Galicians of northern Spain. On a macro level, this could be another peg in the board of truth that ancient peoples traveled quite far along their shared Atlantic coastlines in exploration, trade, and most likely habitation. On a micro level, I have ancestors from northern Spain back in the middle centuries, the same time as some of the aforementioned forebears: like 2nd cousin Urraca of León, Queen of León, Castile, and Galicia, and 3rd cousin Alfonso X King of Castile, Léon, Galicia, among others.
As for the latter, here is one of the intriguing questions Sykes asks, almost a 'which came first, the chicken or the egg': "It was the coming of agriculture to Scotland, beginning about 6,000 years ago, that boosted the population so that, only a few centuries later, there was enough manpower to construct these vast monuments [large stone structures]. But did this evidently greatly increased population mean the immigration of large numbers of people, or did the original Mesolithic inhabitants adapt and proliferate?"
He goes on to say that there isn't a lot of archeological evidence to lead us in either direction with any certainty, but maybe DNA will shed some steadier light. A $64,000 question, indeed.
Sykes even takes us through the methodology used in collecting these thousands of bits n bobs of genetic samples in a lighthearted, open, and conversational way. We get local color and cultural flavor, with observations on human nature that are probably universal, now and 8,000-10,000 years ago when we bipeds first arrived in these here parts of the world.
He goes through the main mDNA haplogroups, the history of what used to pass for cultural historical research and the often patriarchal and racist conclusions of such, and the fact that these sub-microscopic proteins we all carry around have been handed down thanks to a handful of original ancestors shared by millions and millions of people. None of us is that different from the next person.
Regarding the 7 major mDNA origins of over 95% of Europeans: "I realized at once that these clan mothers, as I called them, were not some kind of theoretical ancestors, but real living, breathing women. No, not just women, they were mothers as well."
And through their daughters, and each generation of daughters after them, here we are.
As much as I love history, there were times when I wished for more exposition on the sciencey side of life. Sykes would get going on a description of one of he and his colleagues' sample collecting tours, or a set of results, and then head back to the lives of our long-dead clanspeople.
His bias that clearly favors England also comes through now and then, if only in hints. Given the rich, lengthy, and interesting history of all of the regions on which he spent his energy in studying, it would have been quite the feat to lessen the awesomeness of Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.**
I did not want this to end! I put off reading the last 20 pages or so for several days. I want more! This is such an enjoyable read, and I wrote notes, reactions, and questions throughout. Please give me more of this:
On the numbers part of the genetic equation: "Like so many tabulations, the numbers disguise individual stories of heroism and betrayal, triumph and defeat, and force them into bleak summaries. This is no way to treat our ancestors and you will be glad that I shall not insult them, or you, in this way again."
Cheeky! And 100% truth: the numbers often don't tell the whole story.
** I have my own "biases" considering my love for and having spent time in Ireland and Scotland, and England, and my extensive ancestry from these three places, along with Wales. ;)
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