Minoan civilization originated by a mixed breed of peoples including African genetic elements
In a widely quoted article on the web University of Washington geneticist George Stamatoyannopoulos asserts, “We now know that the founders of the first advanced European civilization were European.” He points to his 2013 study with Hughey et al study entitled “A European population in Minoan Bronze Age Crete” as dismissing the early 1900s claim of archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans that the Cretan civilization was founded by refugees from Egypt. But a review of the data however reveals 7 weaknesses that make this claim merit further examination:
1— Disputing a narrow claim from the early 1900s is pretty easy with modern tools. The very study referenced by Stamatoyannopoulos indeed dismisses the early 1900s claim by Sir Arthur Evans attributing Cretan civ to Egyptian migrants, but Evan's claim is from 1900s/1920, and has long been superseded by modern studies. Evans, back in the early 1900s had only cultural artifacts to work with not a modern set of DNA and analytical tools. So debunking a claim from 1920 is pretty easy in this respect. And Stamatoyannopoulos' study is a whopping 37 samples. Other modern studies do not rule out North African elements- as shown below.
2— Stamatoyannopoulos’s own study does not show a European origin for the inhbitants of Crete. To the contrary, he references other studies that point to an Anatolian origin and says so thus:
Our data are compatible with the hypothesis of an autochthonous development of the Minoan civilization by the descendants of the Neolithic settlers of the island.. The first Neolithic humans reached Crete about 9,000 years before present (YBP)1, 2, coinciding with the development and adoption of the agricultural practices in the Near East and the extensive Neolithic population diffusion (8,000–9,500 YBP) that brought farming to Europe3. The most likely origins of these Neolithic settlers were the nearest coasts, either the Peloponnese or south-western Anatolia4, 5, 6. These humans established the first major European civilization on the island of Crete at the beginning of the Early Bronze Age.7
As it has been proposed for the other Neolithic European populations21, 22, 23, the most likely origin of the Cretan Neolithic settlers was Anatolia and the Middle East4, 7, 9, 10, 11. Given that the timing of the first Neolithic inhabitants to reach Crete 9,000 YBP coincides with the migration of Neolithic farmers out of Anatolia3, it is highly probable that the same ancestral population that spread to Europe, also spread to Crete and contributed to the founding of the early Minoan civilization.” --Hughey et al 2013. “A European population in Minoan Bronze Age Crete”
^^There you have it. He says: “the founders of the first advanced European civilization were European.” But his own study shows that the founders of Cretan civilization were not European but came primarily from the “Middle East” and Turkey (Anatolia). These would not be the only sources as time went on and obviously Mediterranean elements would arrive as centuries went on. But since Stamatoyannopoulos holds that Cretan civilization developed from home grown elements, the "founders" are those non-European migrants that made Crete their home.
3-- Other studies likewise point to the significant role of Anatolia in providing population //-
Like haplogroup E, the entire J clade is also of Middle Eastern origin. It was most likely introduced into the Mediterranean region during the diaspora of Neolithic farmers.20,25,26 It has been suggested that this dispersal may have occurred overseas,25,26 which implies a significant role of the Mediterranean islands in the Neolithization of southern continental Europe..
Out of the total number of J2 chromosomes in the Heraklion Prefecture and Lasithi Prefecture populations, 92 and 82% of the samples, respectively, are derived at J2- DYS413 (Figure 2). As the CA illustrates (Figure 4), these proportions suggest genetic affinity with groups from the Turkish-Greek area, where this marker is believed to have originated.7 Based on the generally low frequency of J2- DYS413 chromosomes in present mainland Greece,6 the Turkish region is favored as the origin of these lineages. Furthermore, the high frequencies of DYS413-derived chromosomes in the island of Crete, as well as in a number of coastal locations from both mainland Greece and Italy, together with the moderate frequencies of this mutation in the Aegean islands,6 can be interpreted as the signals of a maritime demic diffusion from Anatolia.” --Martinez et al. (2007). Paleolithic Y-haplogroup heritage predominates in a Cretan highland plateau. European Journal of Human Genetics (2007) 15, 485–493
4—Other studies also affirm the primary role played by the middle East, Anatolia or Central Asia in populating Crete.
Crete shows affinity with central/Mediterranean Anatolia. Haplogroup J2b-M12 was frequent in Thessaly and Greek Macedonia while haplogroup J2a-M410 was scarce. Alternatively, Crete, like Anatolia showed a high frequency of J2a-M410 and a low frequency of J2b-M12. This dichotomy parallels archaeobotanical evidence, specifically that while bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is known from Neolithic Anatolia, Crete and southern Italy; it is absent from earliest Neolithic Greece. The expansion time of YSTR variation for haplogroup E3b1a2-V13, in the Peloponnese was consistent with an indigenous Mesolithic presence. In turn, two distinctive haplogroups, J2a1h-M319 and J2a1b1-M92, have demographic properties consistent with Bronze Age expansions in Crete, arguably from NW/W Anatolia and Syro-Palestine, while a later mainland (Mycenaean) contribution to Crete is indicated by relative frequencies of V13.” -- King et al 2008. "Differential Y-chromosome Anatolian influences on the Greek and Cretan Neolithic" Ann Hum Genet. 2008 Mar;72(Pt 2):205-14
5—Other studies point to African elements in the early Cretan population
"The clinal frequency pattern of haplogroup E in the Mediterranean region has been associated with several dispersal events during and after the Neolithic period.19, 25, 26 Originally emanating from East Africa, haplogroup E3b-M35 and particularly subhaplogroup E3b1-M78 are believed to be signatures of a demic diffusion of Neolithic farmers from the Middle East to Europe. This haplogroup has left its strongest imprint along the Southern Mediterranean... In the case of Cretan E3b3-M123 (M34) chromosomes, they most likely signal East African or Middle-Eastern gene flow rather than European, due to the scarcity of this lineage in the latter area.19, 26 Similarly, the presence of E3b-M35* individuals in the Heraklion Prefecture population could probably be attributed to an East-African or North-African contribution."
--Martinez et al. (2007). Paleolithic Y-haplogroup heritage predominates in a Cretan highland plateau. European Journal of Human Genetics (2007) 15, 485–493
6- Crete’s civilization seems to have developed heavily from indigenous mixed breeds. This mixture would not have remained static over thousands of years on the island but could change with local adaptation and the influx of new immigrants from Anatolia, the Middle East, and also the Central Mediterranean over time. Archaeological data on early Aegean region show a mixed bag of types.
"The inhabitants of the Aegean area in the Bronze Age may have been much like many people in the Mediterranean basin today, short and slight of build with dark hair and eyes and sallow complexions. Skeletons show that the population of the Aegean was already mixed by Neolithic times, and various facial types, some with delicate features and pointed noses, others pug-nosed, almost negroid, are depicted in wall paintings from the 16th century BC..." -- The Home of the Heroes: The Aegean Before the Greeks (1967)
7—Stamatoyannopoulos forthrightly admits Middle Eastern and Anatolian data but in certain quarters on the web some tout an “all Caucasoid” picture. Alack and alas, those pesky “colored” types seem to have had a presence in Crete as shown by some DNA studies.
"In the case of Cretan E3b3-M123 (M34) chromosomes, they most likely signal East African or Middle-Eastern gene flow rather than European, due to the scarcity of this lineage in the latter area.19, 26 Similarly, the presence of E3b-M35* individuals in the Heraklion Prefecture population could probably be attributed to an East-African or North-African contribution. " FROM: Fig 2 --Martinez et al. (2007). Paleolithic Y-haplogroup heritage predominates in a Cretan highland plateau. Eu Jrl Hu Gen. 15, 485-493
quote:Originally posted by Djehuti IN 2009: Okay, just to answer the topic article:
First of all Anatolia was NOT in what is today modern Iraq, Iran, and Syria!! Anatolia is what is today Turkey.
Second of all, its been well known now from archaeological findings first and recent genetic findings that yes-- the predominant culture of Crete is Anatolian, there is an African cultural substratum which represents the first culture to settle the Island!:
British archaeologist Arthur Evans (1851-1941), who conducted excavations on the island, was convinced of African migrations to ancient Crete. He pointed out that:
"The multiplicity of these connections with the old indigenous race of the opposite African coast, and which we undoubtedly have to deal with in the pre dynastic population of the Nile Valley, can in fact be hardly explained on any other hypothesis than that of an actual settlement in Southern Crete."
The research team of C.H. and H.B. Hawes, the latter of whom, like Evans, conducted important archaeological excavations in Crete, [...] noted that: "Anthropologists are inclined to the view that the Neolithic people of Crete were immigrants, and probably came from North Africa."
Historian H.R. Hall, also Oxford trained, shared Evans' position on the early population of Minoan Crete:
"While the majority of the original Neolithic inhabitants of Crete probably came from Anatolia, another element may well have come in oared boats from the opposite African coast, bringing with them to the southern plain of Messara the seeds of civilization that, transplanted to the different conditions of Crete, developed into the great Minoan culture, a younger more brilliant, and less long-lived sister of that of Egypt."
Whether the Minoan culture was more brilliant than that of Egypt is highly questionable at best, but on the other points Hall seems to just about to hit the mark. Evans, again, indeed considered Egypt and Libya as the springboards of Minoan civilization; so much so that he structured his own Minoan chronology on that of dynastic Egypt. He was particularly struck by the similarities in the contents of the of the tombs of the ancient Minoans and Egyptians:
"So numerous, in fact, are the points, of comparison presented by the contents of these early interments with those of pre dynastic Egypt that, far-fetched as the conclusion might appear at first sight, I was already some years since constrained to put forth the suggestion that about the time of the conquest of the lower Nile Valley by the first historic dynasty some part of the older population had actually settled in this southern foreland of Crete."
Gordon Childe also commented on the relations between Crete and pre dynastic Egypt:
"At least on the Mesara, the great plain of southern Crete facing Africa, Minoan Crete's indebtedness to the Nile is disclosed in the most intimate aspects of its culture. Not only do the forms of early Minoan stone vases, the precision of the lapidaries' technique and the aesthetic selection of variegated stones as his materials carry on the the pre dynastic tradition, Nilotic religious customs such as the use of the sistrum, the wearing of amulets in the forms of legs, mummies and monkeys, and statuettes plainly derived from Gerzean `block figures,' and personal habits revealed by depilatory tweezers of the Egyptian shape and stone unguent palettes from the early tombs and, later, details of costumes such as the penis-sheath and loin-cloth betoken something deeper than the external relations of commerce."
And of course there is too much anthropological evidence that shows the early Cretans and even later Cretans retained African features to deny an African presence!
All of this was discussed many times in this forum including here!
Posted by Troll Patrol aka Ish Gebor (Member # 18264) on :
It's only a matter of time before the lioness is going to pop up again.
Interesting to see the E-V13 score.
Is this coincident?
Posted by zarahan- aka Enrique Cardova (Member # 15718) on :
I wonder myself. When you look at the group of articles in total, its a bigger dataset than Hughey with a bigger picture. Didn't you post a study once on E-V13 distribution?
Posted by Troll Patrol aka Ish Gebor (Member # 18264) on :
Do you mean this one?
quote: The first Neolithic humans reached Crete about 9,000 years before present (YBP)1, 2, coinciding with the development and adoption of the agricultural practices in the Near East and the extensive Neolithic population diffusion (8,000–9,500 YBP) that brought farming to Europe3.
--A European population in Minoan Bronze Age Crete, Jeffery R. Hughey et al.
This one:
quote:Here, we describe a system for the molecular dissection of haplogroup E-M78 (E1b1b1a), consisting of multiplex polymerase chain reaction and minisequencing of M78 and nine population-informative Y-SNPs (M148, M224, V12, V13, V19, V22, V27, V32, V65) in a single reaction.
--S. Caratti, S. Gino, C. Torre, C. Robino
International Journal of Legal Medicine July 2009, Volume 123, Issue 4, pp 357-360
Phylogeny of Y-chromosome haplogroups and their frequencies (%) in the examined populations. Nomenclature and haplogroup labelling according to the Y Chromosome Consortium (http://ycc.biosci.arizona.edu/) updated according to Karafet et al. 32 *Paragroups: Y chromosomes not defined by any phylogenetic downstream-reported and -examined mutation. aIntrapopulation haplogroup diversity. The terminal markers of haplogroups E-V12 and E-V13 (V32 and V27, respectively) were typed but did not show any variation.
Frequency (left) and variance (right) distributions of the main Y-chromosome haplogroups, I-M423, E-V13 and J-M241, observed in this survey. Frequency data are reported in Figure 2, variance data are relative to the examined microsatellite reported in the Supplementary Table S2. We acknowledge that interpolated spatial frequency surfaces should be viewed with caution because of sample size.41 Data from this study. Frequency and variance values were assigned to sample-collection places (dots). Population samples (geographically close) with less than five observations were pooled and the corresponding variance assigned to a middle position of the pooled sample locations. +Data from the literature.13, 23, 27, 28, 36, 45, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54
--Vincenza Battaglia et al
Y-chromosomal evidence of the cultural diffusion of agriculture in southeast Europe
European Journal of Human Genetics (2009) 17, 820–830; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2008.249; published online 24 December 2008
"Precisie restauratie" Late bronstijd (LBA) Laat Minoïsche ik (LM ik) periode Laat Cycladische ik (LC ik) periode Geschilderd ergens vóór ~ 1613 BC Akrotiri, Thera (Santorini), Griekenland
"Precisie restauratie" Late bronstijd (LBA) Laat Minoïsche ik (LM ik) periode Laat Cycladische ik (LC ik) periode Geschilderd ergens vóór ~ 1613 BC Akrotiri, Thera (Santorini), Griekenland
Town with boats in the harbour. Minoan fresco image from Akrotiri on the Greek island of Thera (now Santorini), c. 1600 BCE.
Description Akrotiri-Thera fresco fragment, exposed at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
Date 16th century BC
Posted by Troll Patrol aka Ish Gebor (Member # 18264) on :
Posted by mena7 (Member # 20555) on :
I think The Yoruba, Akan, Mande and Fulani African people created the Minoan Crete civilization. The Crete double Axe symbol is the symbol of the Yoruba God Shango. The Minoan snake Goddess was the Dahomean fertility and prophecy Goddess Minona. The name Minoan Crete come from Goddess Minona.
The Minoan palace at Knossos is similar to the Asante King palace at Kumasi. There is the city of Kumasi in Knossos and the city of Kumasi in Crete. The Crete alphabet is similar to West African Mande alphabet. There is a Cretan plate that is similar to the Yoruba ife divination plate.
Posted by the lioness, (Member # 17353) on :
quote:Originally posted by Troll Patrol aka Ish Gebor:
.
FAKE
-not even a good one
Posted by the lioness, (Member # 17353) on :
Posted by Trollkillah aka Ish Gebor (Member # 18264) on :
^?
quote:Originally posted by the lioness,:
quote:Originally posted by Troll Patrol aka Ish Gebor:
