Where the ancient Cretans came from....

[Guest HappyAsHellas]

Some interesting stuff on the DNA of Minoans etc

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-40791188

[Επισκέπτης]

There is nothing Indo-European about the Greek language. It is a mix of Anatolian Languages. The earliest documentary evidence for so called Indo-European languages is Hittite and Mycenaean and there is no "Indo" in either of them. Both have their origins in Anatolia. Add Pelasgian, also Anatolian, to that and you get Greek. As far as Influences from the NORTH go.... Never happened. The Iberian peninsula aside Europe was practically empty during the last ice age. After that Anatolians and Central Asians migrated west and north. The former via Greece the latter via the North Caucasus.

[Guest HappyAsHellas]

Why does this seem to be a common mistake if that's what it is. It's certainly not the first time I've read similar about the origins of the Greek language, although I found it interesting as to the origins of the people who were around back then.

[Επισκέπτης]

It has something to do with the Brits ruling India and writing books about "Indo-European" languages. In reality the Hindi Language was transplanted to India by the Persians. This becomes clear when someone tries to locate Hindi epigraphy that predates the 6th century BCE. It does simply not exist. It appears only after the 6th century and well after the expansion of Iranian peoples into the Indian subcontinent. And yet... English bibliography claims that Hindi has a history of some 6000 years. Despite the absence of documentary evidence. Bottom line is: I haven't seen a shred of evidence to justify the use of the term "Indo-European".

 

There is also the fairy tale of the Dorics being "Invaders from the North". This was nothing more then an attempt to edit a "Nordic Germanic" component into Greek history after Ancient Greek culture became fashionable in Northern Europe. This is of course total nonsense since the Dorics had a high mastery of Iron metallurgy which at that time existed only in Anatolia. Within the arc of the Halys river to be exact. So the Dorics did not come into Greece from the North but from the East. At least that's what the facts suggest.

 

Interestingly enough, the Greek word for steel is Halivas, meaning the metal of the Halives as the Greeks called the people who lived around the Halys river. The Romans called them Calibes and until the late Roman times Iron Ex Calibis, made by the Calibians, was highly valued. The Latin Ex Calibis was centuries latter bastardised into "Excalibur" of the Arthurian legend.

[Guest HappyAsHellas]

Interesting stuff indeed. We seem to be quite well informed here of the inadequacies of certain periods of American history and yet it seems we are very guilty of ignoring other aspects as it suits. Interestingly here in Scotland a similar study was carried out on remains of the Pictish people and the only other similarities were found to be in localised north Germanic tribes. Quite frankly, the thought of my generic ancestors being at least half German, covered in blue paint and bollock naked running screaming at the Roman invaders who were undoubtedly trying to educate us in some form is somewhat disconcerting to say the least.

Then again as we say here in Scotland "We're aw Jock Tamson's bairns". 

[admin 31]

Sorry for coming late into the discussion (just back from Greece!). I agree with ajax that the ancient Cretans (as most pre-classical Greek tribes) seem to have come from Anatolia. If one looks at their art. language, way of life etc. it seems to bear many similarities to their neighbors from the east. 

[Guest HappyAsHellas]

The report does conclude that only 4 - 16% of the population arrived from the north which does seem to be at odds with their indo language stance. Although to be fair they do concede that it is open to debate.

[Dino 1]

interesting stuff, I suspect as science improves and more discoveries are made, eventually we may have a better picture or we may simply debate the topic for ions