North African DNA that dismantles the myth of a pure Spain
The North African genetic component reaches 11% in Galicia, widening the gap between science and identity. The Villena Treasure has stirred up the controversy.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The 11% North African DNA that dismantles the myth of eternal Spain
The idea was so absurd it defended itself: dismantling El Guanol and shipping it stone by stone to Japan. Before dismissing it, it is worth noting a fact that the defenders of purity prefer to omit. The North African genetic component of the Spanish population reaches up to 11% in regions such as Galicia and Portugal, according to research cited throughout this controversy. That footprint is dated between 860 and 1120, the height of the Al-Ándalus era.
Eight centuries of uncomfortable mixing
The Sarracinic presence lasted from 711 to 1492. Chess, tic-tac-toe, Averroes, Avicenna. Some claim all of that belongs to the Hispano-Roman population, not the invader. Genetics, however, shows a mixed population that does not fit the narrative of an unchanging essence. The 11% is, depending on how you look at it, a speck of dust or proof that Spain was never a closed bloc.
Japan's brainchild never took off, but it didn't need to: someone pointed out that the Ibanez guitar brand had already ended up there, and someone else took it as a sign that everything eventually leaves home.
The Villena Treasure and the antiestéticar of plunder
The final spark comes with the Villena Treasure, allegedly melted down by Wilson Pacheco and Moha, according to the information released. If an archaeological treasure can end up in a smelter, the question of who protects heritage is no longer theoretical.
The idea was so absurd it defended itself: dismantling El Guanol and shipping it stone by stone to Japan. Before dismissing it, it is worth noting a fact that the defenders of purity prefer to omit. The North African genetic component of the Spanish population reaches up to 11% in regions such as Galicia and Portugal, according to research cited throughout this controversy. That footprint is dated between 860 and 1120, the height of the Al-Ándalus era.
Eight centuries of uncomfortable mixing
The Sarracinic presence lasted from 711 to 1492. Chess, tic-tac-toe, Averroes, Avicenna. Some claim all of that belongs to the Hispano-Roman population, not the invader. Genetics, however, shows a mixed population that does not fit the narrative of an unchanging essence. The 11% is, depending on how you look at it, a speck of dust or proof that Spain was never a closed bloc.
Japan's brainchild never took off, but it didn't need to: someone pointed out that the Ibanez guitar brand had already ended up there, and someone else took it as a sign that everything eventually leaves home.
The Villena Treasure and the antiestéticar of plunder
The final spark comes with the Villena Treasure, allegedly melted down by Wilson Pacheco and Moha, according to the information released. If an archaeological treasure can end up in a smelter, the question of who protects heritage is no longer theoretical.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (26 replies).
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