DNA Reveals Origins of First European Farmers

[Elmore Furth]

Here is evidence that technology (farming) was brought in by one group only to be coopted by another group. These dates are very close to the theory that flooding of the Black Sea with the flooding through the Bosporus may have forced a population in that area to disseminate throughout the surrounding area 7600 years ago, taking their culture, lifestyle and language with them.

Black Sea deluge theory

The vast group of languages that dominates Europe and much of central and south Asia originated around 8,000 years ago among farmers in what is now Anatolia, Turkey, speaking proto-indo-european. Using a parallel method, Gray and Atkinson turned back the clock on 87 languages, using sophisticated software to trace the path taken by 2,449 "cognates" -- fundamental words in each language that are presumed to derive from a common ancestor.

Mother of all Indo-European languages born in Turkey?


Proto-indo-european languages are thought to have diffused as such:

ScienceDaily (Nov. 10, 2010) — A team of international researchers led by ancient DNA experts from the University of Adelaide has resolved the longstanding issue of the origins of the people who introduced farming to Europe some 8000 years ago.

A detailed genetic study of one of the first farming communities in Europe, from central Germany, reveals marked similarities with populations living in the Ancient Near East (modern-day Turkey, Iraq and other countries) rather than those from Europe.

We have finally resolved the question of who the first farmers in Europe were -- invaders with revolutionary new ideas, rather than populations of Stone Age hunter-gatherers who already existed in the area," says lead author Dr Wolfgang Haak, Senior Research Associate with ACAD at the University of Adelaide.

The ancient DNA used in this study comes from a complete graveyard of Early Neolithic farmers unearthed at the town of Derenburg in Saxony-Anhalt, central Germany.

DNA Reveals Origins of First European Farmers

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[Celtic Raven]

2. K&R nt

[txlibdem]

3. Comparing the graphic to google maps, it looks like they came from Armenia

I've known some Armenian people back in the day. Nice folks. So, why not?