06-16-2004, 09:56 AM
Quote: "When you talk about Romans in Britain, most people think about blue eyes and pale complexions," he said. "But the reality was very different."<br>
Huh?<br>
Romans from Stockholm, I gather..<br>
As far as genetics are concerned, I suspect that, generally speaking, the original gene pool remains more or less the same. There are add ons, but they are added to a bigger gene pool and are thus diluted.<br>
I don't know much about the UK since it seems that the Great Invasions are still going on there. That is if you ask the Irish, the Scots and the Welsh..<br>
As a result I've seen genetic analysis demonstrating that the "original" celtic population was all but wiped out in certain areas, and genetic analysis demonstrating just the opposite.<br>
That made me smell something fishy like some kind of political agenda.<br>
So I am waiting for tempers to cool down...<br>
As far as France is concerned, research has shown that the gene pool was not dramatically modified during the germanic invasions. If remnants of people clearly coming from Germany, or even the steppes were found in France, the vast majority of the inhabitants remained what they were: Gauls.<br>
If I dared, I'd risk saying that it's probably the same in the UK.<br>
I've always been struck by Caesar's War of the Gauls. In there, Julius describes a situation from 2 000 years ago that looks very contemporary.<br>
If you travel in France and North West Europe, you'll notice the same differences as noted by the Romans: Gauls, Aquitanians, Belgians and Germans, with a lot of mixing in the "frontier" zones.<br>
As for Caesar's description of the Gauls, I think it is strikingly modern...<br>
Of course there are exceptions showing the external influxes. In SW France for instance you may find often tall, blonde, typically nordic looking people. It's either the Wisigoths or the British, or rather the English, who remained in SW France for a very long time and who special maintained commercial links with the area. If there is wine in Bordeaux and Cognac in Cognac, we must thank them..<br>
Same in Spain, where the mixing produced tall, dark haired green eyed people, especially in Andalucia (Vandalusia).<br>
I had a german girl friend a long time ago. She was petite, had raven colored hair, high cheek bones and a matte, golden skin.<br>
I used to call her "the Burgundian woman", because I supect that, a long time ago, some Hun may have had an influence on her genes..<br>
Well.. Now, come to think of it, it may have been a Mongol..<br>
Her parents, BTW, were both typical Germans: fair haired, blue eyed. Go figure..<br>
<p></p><i></i>
Huh?<br>
Romans from Stockholm, I gather..<br>
As far as genetics are concerned, I suspect that, generally speaking, the original gene pool remains more or less the same. There are add ons, but they are added to a bigger gene pool and are thus diluted.<br>
I don't know much about the UK since it seems that the Great Invasions are still going on there. That is if you ask the Irish, the Scots and the Welsh..<br>
As a result I've seen genetic analysis demonstrating that the "original" celtic population was all but wiped out in certain areas, and genetic analysis demonstrating just the opposite.<br>
That made me smell something fishy like some kind of political agenda.<br>
So I am waiting for tempers to cool down...<br>
As far as France is concerned, research has shown that the gene pool was not dramatically modified during the germanic invasions. If remnants of people clearly coming from Germany, or even the steppes were found in France, the vast majority of the inhabitants remained what they were: Gauls.<br>
If I dared, I'd risk saying that it's probably the same in the UK.<br>
I've always been struck by Caesar's War of the Gauls. In there, Julius describes a situation from 2 000 years ago that looks very contemporary.<br>
If you travel in France and North West Europe, you'll notice the same differences as noted by the Romans: Gauls, Aquitanians, Belgians and Germans, with a lot of mixing in the "frontier" zones.<br>
As for Caesar's description of the Gauls, I think it is strikingly modern...<br>
Of course there are exceptions showing the external influxes. In SW France for instance you may find often tall, blonde, typically nordic looking people. It's either the Wisigoths or the British, or rather the English, who remained in SW France for a very long time and who special maintained commercial links with the area. If there is wine in Bordeaux and Cognac in Cognac, we must thank them..<br>
Same in Spain, where the mixing produced tall, dark haired green eyed people, especially in Andalucia (Vandalusia).<br>
I had a german girl friend a long time ago. She was petite, had raven colored hair, high cheek bones and a matte, golden skin.<br>
I used to call her "the Burgundian woman", because I supect that, a long time ago, some Hun may have had an influence on her genes..<br>
Well.. Now, come to think of it, it may have been a Mongol..<br>
Her parents, BTW, were both typical Germans: fair haired, blue eyed. Go figure..<br>
<p></p><i></i>
