samsloan
2013-01-18 19:46:46 UTC
What Happened to the First Native American MtDNA in Europe?
When Columbus Discovered America in 1492, he returned to Spain with 6
Native American Indian men.
When he returned to America on his second voyage in 1493, he brought
back two of those men with him to serve as translators, the other four
having died in Spain. How and why they died has not been explained. It
is known that he made them put on clothing when they arrived in Spain,
as the Native Americans had been naked.
When he returned to Spain from his second voyage in 1493, this time he
brought 20 Native Americans with him, most of them women. It is
believed that they were brought not entirely voluntarily.
It was a difficult journey back as his crew were virtually starving.
They lived in part from catching fish in the Ocean. When they were out
of food and very hungry, some of them had a proposal. The Native
Americans were cannibals, eating each other. So, Columbus'es men
proposed that they adopt the American custom by eating the girls.
Of course, Columbus opposed this because the whole purpose for
bringing the girls back to Spain was to prove his discoveries.
Fortunately, Columbus prevailed and all of the girls all made it to
Spain without being eaten.
However, at this point the historical record seems to stop. I have
found no record of what happened to the 20 girls after Columbus
brought them back to Spain.
However, it is safe to say that if they survived they reproduced.
Therefore it seems likely that their MtDNA survived in the Spanish
population today.
Has anybody done any research on this? Does anybody know the answers
to these questions?
Sam Sloan
When Columbus Discovered America in 1492, he returned to Spain with 6
Native American Indian men.
When he returned to America on his second voyage in 1493, he brought
back two of those men with him to serve as translators, the other four
having died in Spain. How and why they died has not been explained. It
is known that he made them put on clothing when they arrived in Spain,
as the Native Americans had been naked.
When he returned to Spain from his second voyage in 1493, this time he
brought 20 Native Americans with him, most of them women. It is
believed that they were brought not entirely voluntarily.
It was a difficult journey back as his crew were virtually starving.
They lived in part from catching fish in the Ocean. When they were out
of food and very hungry, some of them had a proposal. The Native
Americans were cannibals, eating each other. So, Columbus'es men
proposed that they adopt the American custom by eating the girls.
Of course, Columbus opposed this because the whole purpose for
bringing the girls back to Spain was to prove his discoveries.
Fortunately, Columbus prevailed and all of the girls all made it to
Spain without being eaten.
However, at this point the historical record seems to stop. I have
found no record of what happened to the 20 girls after Columbus
brought them back to Spain.
However, it is safe to say that if they survived they reproduced.
Therefore it seems likely that their MtDNA survived in the Spanish
population today.
Has anybody done any research on this? Does anybody know the answers
to these questions?
Sam Sloan