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Although most predate the period of 1000 AD, perhaps the best evidence of what our European ancestors looked like are the remarkably preserved bodies found in the peat bogs of Denmark, England and Ireland. For instance, the face of Tollund Man found in a peat bog in Denmark showed little deterioration.
If there ever were a "pure," homogeneous people, it would likely be an early geographically isolated people like the Finns. However, even among Finns there is quite a diversity in body characteristics. The pressures of migration, war, and climate change must have kept the gene pool of European tribes in a state of change. For instance, I understand that the reason there are many redheads in Iceland is that the predatory Vikings often abducted Irish women and carried them off to Iceland,
This is an aside, but a couple years ago we had the privilege of seeing the remains of "Otzi the Iceman," found in the Alps, and now residing in a museum in Boden-Bolzano, Italy. He was much shorter than we might have thought, and not in too good physical condition, as would be expected for a 5300-year old cadaver.
Was there a time when the people of Spain had mostly blonde hair and blue eyes? Was the rest of Europe that way before the Northern Africans invaded the continent? I assume the darker traits come from Northern Africa but am not sure if 1000 years ago they all had the blonde hair and blue eyes through out Europe.
The stores about the Black Irish are also interesting. I was told that there were Spanish ships that were sunk by the the English about 500 years ago and the sailors swam to Ireland and were accepted. This is why some Irish have dark eyebrows and jet black hair. Any thoughts on this one?
Generally speaking the more south you go the darker the people. It doesnt even have anything to do with race either.
Example, Scandinavia vs Sicily.
Also, it doesn't necessarily have to do anything with an invasion or N. Africa. I don't believe you will find a pure people unless you go in the most isolated parts of the world and even then you don't even know for sure. Remember, people have been moving around since the invention of the wheel......
Also, it is just a misconception that all whites and europeans are/were blond or light skinned.
We really don't even know for sure what the first civilized europeans the Greeks, looked like. Some say they were blond, blue eyed, but that is what some arians might have wanted it to be so. They were probably brown haired and rather white in skin and not too much blue eyed.
Tor was here yesterday with his mjölner. Had to turn the computer off. That "god" has a way of getting pissed off when I'm in the midst of something important...
Þórr is actually old-norse, which is what people in Scandinavia spoke up until the 11th century when it was divided into Swedish, Danish and Norweigan. In Swedish it is Tor, hence Torsdag. And in English it is Thor, hence Thursday.
There's plenty of websites out there if googling Tor. It's just that most of them are in Swedish, Norweigan or Danish (Though Danish actually spells it Thor sometimes too. Hm...)
From what I've learned in school, people in Europe have slightly changed appearance in local areas throughout history, due to immigration etc. Just like today.
I would not say that the Finns were geographically isolated. Finland was part of Sweden for over 600 years, and then Russia for 100 years before becoming independent. So they've come in contact with other gene pools for many centuries.
Tor was here yesterday with his mjölner. Had to turn the computer off. That "god" has a way of getting pissed off when I'm in the midst of something important...
Þórr is actually old-norse, which is what people in Scandinavia spoke up until the 11th century when it was divided into Swedish, Danish and Norweigan. In Swedish it is Tor, hence Torsdag. And in English it is Thor, hence Thursday.
There's plenty of websites out there if googling Tor. It's just that most of them are in Swedish, Norweigan or Danish (Though Danish actually spells it Thor sometimes too. Hm...)
From what I've learned in school, people in Europe have slightly changed appearance in local areas throughout history, due to immigration etc. Just like today.
I would not say that the Finns were geographically isolated. Finland was part of Sweden for over 600 years, and then Russia for 100 years before becoming independent. So they've come in contact with other gene pools for many centuries.
Good Post. And about the Danish spell Tor with an H, thats the Dans for you We Swedes know how they are.. ( thanks for the rep earlier. Right back to you )
Tor was here yesterday with his mjölner. Had to turn the computer off. That "god" has a way of getting pissed off when I'm in the midst of something important...
Þórr is actually old-norse, which is what people in Scandinavia spoke up until the 11th century when it was divided into Swedish, Danish and Norweigan. In Swedish it is Tor, hence Torsdag. And in English it is Thor, hence Thursday.
There's plenty of websites out there if googling Tor. It's just that most of them are in Swedish, Norweigan or Danish (Though Danish actually spells it Thor sometimes too. Hm...)
From what I've learned in school, people in Europe have slightly changed appearance in local areas throughout history, due to immigration etc. Just like today.
I would not say that the Finns were geographically isolated. Finland was part of Sweden for over 600 years, and then Russia for 100 years before becoming independent. So they've come in contact with other gene pools for many centuries.
They didn't look any different from modern Europeans over 3000 plus years ago, never mind only 1000 years ago.
DNA Grave Circle B in Mycenae(Early Bronze Age Europeans)
May 07, 2008
32 Greek Mycenaean skeleton remains from least early Bronze Age have been discovered in Grave Circle B Mycenae, Greece. So far they depicted phenotypes found in modern Greeks, that of Caucasian Europoid phenotypes, the ones tested reveal their mDNA belonged to haplogroups UK ("heart-shaped face" individuals Γ55 and Γ58, possibly brother and sister), U5a1 or U5a1a("long-faced" individual Ζ59) and the Cambridge Reference Sequence ("heart-shaped face" individual Α62), which is "compatible in the region sequenced with various haplogroups including H, HV1, J, U, U3 and U4 (UK, U5a1 or U5a1a)." Using forensic and archaeological evidence, by John Prag and Richard Neave, College Station : Texas A & M University Press, 1997 (ISBN 0890967849), first row: Γ55, Γ5 authentic depictions of the individuals are finally revealed them to have Caucasian phenotypes found in most all Europeans today.
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/7601/reconstructionsmycenaegxd2.jpg (broken link)
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(Though Danish actually spells it Thor sometimes too. Hm...)
( thanks for the rep earlier. Right back to you )
