One million Brits 'descended from Romans'

[Still Waters]

The Romans departed abruptly in the early fifth century, leaving behind relics of their rule including Hadrian's Wall along with a host of towns, roads and encampments.

But perhaps the most enduring sign of their legacy is in our genes, experts claim, with an estimated million British men descending from the invading forces.

http://www.telegraph...rom-Romans.html

[Everdred]

Perhaps. But it looks like this is just a complete guess.

[Ashotep]

Does this mean there are no women descendants.

[shrooma]

and here's me thinking I was of norse descent.

turns out i'm bloody italian, a people with a white cross on a white background for a national flag!

bugger THAT!! i'm viking, and proud of it!

:-)

[No Censorship]

and here's me thinking I was of norse descent.

turns out i'm bloody italian, a people with a white cross on a white background for a national flag!

bugger THAT!! i'm viking, and proud of it!

:-)

You could be descended from individuals of various origins. Also, not all members of the occupying military forces were Roman. Some soldiers came from conquered countries or tribes. The guardians of Hadrian's Wall were a mixed group. You could have both Roman and Viking blood. It often depends on where you live in the British Isles. As you know, the eastern extremities vary from the western extremities in both England and Scotland. The same holds true for Ireland, and Wales has its own divisions.

[Abramelin]

Does this mean there are no women descendants.

"Researchers examined DNA from the Y chromosome, which is only passed on by men,"

[shrooma]

not all members of the occupying military forces were Roman. You could have both Roman and Viking blood. It often depends on where you live in the British Isles.

.

I come from a part of britain that wasn't occupied by romans, that was allowed to operate as a satellite kingdom to rome, and left with its rulers and culture intact, which is a good thing, because far from being conqurors who brought civilisation to the barbarians, all the romans did for britain was destroy an advanced culture that was thousands of years old.

so i'm glad I won't have any of their pollution inside me, and come from a part of the country that was the viking capital of britain. meaning it's more likely that I possess norse genes than italian.

[Indiogene]

The brief Roman occupation of pre-AngloSaxon England was minor but important to the development of British civilization and it comes with no surprise a portion of the English people descended from dispatched Roman soldiers or civilians.

Both Britain and continental Europe once was densely populated by Celtic peoples, but came the invading Germanic tribes while the other half of Celtic-speaking cultures fell under the Romans (Northern Italy, France esp. its south, Spain and Portugal).

My father came from France (the Nord PdC region) where it was entrenched with Romans, except the local population have roots in Flemish or Dutch ancestries from the tribes of Lower Germans or Nederlanders, esp. the northern half of Nord departement and an adjacent part of Pas-de-Calais was Flemish-speaking instead of French until the 18th and early 19th centuries.

The English were there in and around Calais and Dunkerque (or Dunkirk) for a short time, then came the Spaniards and Austrians, and finally in the mid 17th century the final French annexation of the very lands the kings of France claimed to be French land, despite a minority (or in certain spots, majorities) of Flemings are already present.

Every nation in the world are descended from a variety of tribes, nations and peoples whom invaded, occupied, and came to settle in the very lands to blend in with the native or indigenous populations over periods of time. The British people can have 1st century BC Pictish ancestors as well have Roman genes in them.

Edited February 24, 2013 by Mike D boy

[TheLastLazyGun]

The brief Roman occupation of pre-AngloSaxon England was minor

It wasn't that minor. Britain was part of the Roman Empire for 367 years, from 43 to 410.

Edited February 24, 2013 by TheLastLazyGun

[Keel M.]

Considering how long people have lived in Britain, yes, it really was brief.

[No Censorship]

.

I come from a part of britain that wasn't occupied by romans, that was allowed to operate as a satellite kingdom to rome, and left with its rulers and culture intact, which is a good thing, because far from being conqurors who brought civilisation to the barbarians, all the romans did for britain was destroy an advanced culture that was thousands of years old.

so i'm glad I won't have any of their pollution inside me, and come from a part of the country that was the viking capital of britain. meaning it's more likely that I possess norse genes than italian.

What part is that? Even Norfolk and Yorkshire had Roman inhabitants. The latter had some autonomy for a while, but there were Romans there. Were your ancestors from north of Hadrian's Wall?

[TheLastLazyGun]

What part is that? Even Norfolk and Yorkshire had Roman inhabitants. The latter had some autonomy for a while, but there were Romans there. Were your ancestors from north of Hadrian's Wall?

There were Romans in Scotland, too. They built the Antonine Wall there.

[No Censorship]

There were Romans in Scotland, too. They built the Antonine Wall there.

That's true. I heard and read that they visited Ireland too. The claimed links seemed quite tenuous in that there was not much evidence from more than a few individuals. In the past, I read that the Romans were afraid of the Irish.

[TheLastLazyGun]

That's true. I heard and read that they visited Ireland too. The claimed links seemed quite tenuous in that there was not much evidence from more than a few individuals. In the past, I read that the Romans were afraid of the Irish.

The Romans in the Roman Province of Britannia called the Irish "Scotti", a term of abuse which meant "pirate" or "raider". These Irish pirates constantly annoyed the denizens of Britannia by raiding their coastline from time to time.

Eventually these Scotti moved from their homes in Ireland and settled in a cold and rocky place just a few miles across the sea from Ireland and just north of Britannia and founded a kingdom in the west and islands of that place called Dal Riata. Their kingdom was led by kings who, during their coronation, placed a bare foot in a foot-shaped hollow carved out in a flat rock and which can still be seen to this day. Centuries later these former pirates and raiders merged with the Picts, who occupied the lands to their east, to form a new kingdom, which was named after the pirates and raiders - Scotland.

And these Irish settled in Scotland long before the Protestant Ulster-Scots settled in what is now Northern Ireland.

Edited February 28, 2013 by TheLastLazyGun

[moonshadow60]

I thought scientists have decided that all humans in the world supposedly are of African ancestry.

[No Censorship]

The Romans in the Roman Province of Britannia called the Irish "Scotti", a term of abuse which meant "pirate" or "raider". These Irish pirates constantly annoyed the denizens of Britannia by raiding their coastline from time to time.

Eventually these Scotti moved from their homes in Ireland and settled in a cold and rocky place just a few miles across the sea from Ireland and just north of Britannia and founded a kingdom in the west and islands of that place called Dal Riata. Their kingdom was led by kings who, during their coronation, placed a bare foot in a foot-shaped hollow carved out in a flat rock and which can still be seen to this day. Centuries later these former pirates and raiders merged with the Picts, who occupied the lands to their east, to form a new kingdom, which was named after the pirates and raiders - Scotland.

And these Irish settled in Scotland long before the Protestant Ulster-Scots settled in what is now Northern Ireland.

I know it well, since I have some roots in northwestern Ireland and southwestern Scotland. The translation of "Scotti" is new to me, though. It could be that *some* of the Protestant Scots-Irish are descended from them since some of them originated in that area. The Picts still are a mystery. The Scottish people in the NE of Scotland have genes that don't match Gaels in an identical fashion. They seem to be more related to Germanic tribes or Scandinavian groups IIRC. Maybe the Picts were linked to Belgic societies, since some of their (Belgic societies) members evidently settled in England years before the mass waves of Angles, Saxons, Jutes, etc.. It makes sense when you look at the geography.

[No Censorship]

I meant to say that some of my ancestors came from northeastern Ireland, but some of them came from northwestern Ireland too. What I said sounded nonsensical in the context of the conversation. On the subjects of the Isles and the Scoti, there was a lot of movement between the two mentioned regions. Some of the Ulster Scots likely had ancient roots in Eire.

[Mr Supertypo]

and here's me thinking I was of norse descent.

turns out i'm bloody italian, a people with a white cross on a white background for a national flag!

bugger THAT!! i'm viking, and proud of it!

:-)

there are no white cross on a white background in the italian national flag....

[Einsteinium]

I thought scientists have decided that all humans in the world supposedly are of African ancestry.

Well yes, millions of years ago-hundreds of thousands of years ago (I do not remember the timeline and I do not have time to look it up atm) the prevailing theories backed up by genetic and fossil evidence is that all of mankind immigrated out of Africa and eventually colonized the world. But this was way way way before the Romans time. Ever since leaving Africa there has been enough time passed that all the different 'races' of mankind have emerged, but not enough time passed with people being isolated enough to allow us to develop into different species

[HollyDolly]

The brief Roman occupation of pre-AngloSaxon England was minor but important to the development of British civilization and it comes with no surprise a portion of the English people descended from dispatched Roman soldiers or civilians.

Both Britain and continental Europe once was densely populated by Celtic peoples, but came the invading Germanic tribes while the other half of Celtic-speaking cultures fell under the Romans (Northern Italy, France esp. its south, Spain and Portugal).

My father came from France (the Nord PdC region) where it was entrenched with Romans, except the local population have roots in Flemish or Dutch ancestries from the tribes of Lower Germans or Nederlanders, esp. the northern half of Nord departement and an adjacent part of Pas-de-Calais was Flemish-speaking instead of French until the 18th and early 19th centuries.

The English were there in and around Calais and Dunkerque (or Dunkirk) for a short time, then came the Spaniards and Austrians, and finally in the mid 17th century the final French annexation of the very lands the kings of France claimed to be French land, despite a minority (or in certain spots, majorities) of Flemings are already present.

Every nation in the world are descended from a variety of tribes, nations and peoples whom invaded, occupied, and came to settle in the very lands to blend in with the native or indigenous populations over periods of time. The British people can have 1st century BC Pictish ancestors as well have Roman genes in them.

Oh I agree with you.Mom's side is hungarian and dad's is German. You had various tribes running around germany centuries ago plus the romans and anybody else who belonged in their army.I think it's very interesting.Everyone is a mix of other peoples.