DNA ANALYSIS SHEDS LIGHT ON THE GENETIC ROOTS OF ANCIENT MINOANS AND MYCENAEANS   published on www.realmofhistory.com Excerpt from article -  In one of our previous articles, we talked about how the earlier Mycenaean artworks,  architectural patterns  and military arms, circa 1600–1450 BC, were very much similar to the contemporary Minoan styles. And now a comprehensive DNA analysis might just provide the credible context to this scope of maritime influence. To that end, according to a fascinating study conducted by an international team of researchers (with members from University of Washington, the Harvard Medical School and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, along with other archaeologists and collaborators) has revealed that the ancient Minoans and  Mycenaeans  were genetically quite similar. Assessed from the remains of 19 different ancient individuals (from areas comprising what is now Greece, Crete and Turkey), thi...

My DNA cousin, Jenny Chronopoulos, from Melbourne Australia just sent me these two very interesting articles. Rumor has it that i n January My Heritage will begin offering testing of stamps, envelopes, etc. to recapture DNA from deceased parents, grandparents.  I cannot find an official statement from My Heritage. Apparently an Australian company is already doing the testing (referenced in articles.below). "TESTING ARTIFACTS TO OBTAIN DNA EVIDENCE FOR GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH" by Blaine Bettinger, published on The Genetic Genealogist blog on 19 November 2018. "HOW TO PRESERVE & TEST OLD LETTERS FOR GRANDMA'S DNA" by  Denise May Levenick, published on The Family Curator blog on April 19, 2018. PERSONAL NOTE:  I have letters from some of my grandparents siblings and would love to do this, but will wait until the price becomes more reasonable.

GREEK AMERICAN FINDS HER ROOTS Californian on first trip to Greece, feels like home By Yiannis Sofianos Published in The National Herald, May 19, 2018 ------------------------------ I am excited that  The National Herald  has given Hellenic Genealogy Geek the right to reprint articles that may be of interest to our group.  ------------------------------ PALM SPRINGS, CA – Carol Pappapetru-Hallas grew up in California, in a family with Greek roots. The third-generation Greek-American did not go to a Greek school, however, nor did she attend an Orthodox Christian church. She had also never visited the home of her ancestors. “I guess they thought it would not be important to us kids..." she told The National Herald about not learning to speak Greek from a young age. Pappapetru-Hallas never ceased, however, to feel a love for Greece and a pride in her heritage.  After researching her DNA research, she found herself and her own...

Brought to my attention by our Hellenic Genealogy Geek friend, Dawna Stevens. ONLY FROM THE DNA Published October 2014 on the Greeks in Washington website -  http://greeksinwashington.org John Skimas has found relatives with the original family name of Skamnias, a derivation of the Greek word for sycamore or mulberry tree.  This discovery was made while visiting Greece and using a DNA kit to determine that there was a 99% match with his relative. John’s father, Nicolaos, was from the town of Thermopolis, Greece, just west of the city of Lamia.  He emigrated from the abject poverty of Greece to the United States in 1909 where he worked on the railroad and eventually found his way to Camas, Washington.  Camas had a large paper mill where many Greeks were employed.  Many also worked on the railroad.  Nicolaos worked there for four years until the outbreak of the Balkan War when he returned to fight against the Turks.  Nicolaos remained in...

On March 5, 2014 the Ancestry.com blog posted "Understanding Patterns of Inheritance:  Where Did My DNA Come From?  (and Why It Matters.) " by Anna Swayne. She includes a chart that helps illustrate how different segments of DNA might have been passed down from your grandparents to make your unique DNA.   I have to admit I have always had trouble grasping this concept - for the first time it finally sunk in .   I found the article and chart to be very helpful. "Your DNA contains a record of your ancestors, but you aren't a carbon copy of any one of them.  The particular mix of DNA you inherit is unique to you.  You receive 50% of your DNA from each of your parents, who received 50% of theirs from each of their parents, and so on.  . . . .  "By understanding how DNA is inherited, you can see how and why you have some DNA segments that match your relatives, and others that do not, why you may or may not have inherited DNA segments ...

This blog article by The Legal Genealogist was brought to my attention by our Hellenic Genealogy Geek friend Venus Corlew-Bubeck.  Thanks Venus. "AncestryDNA rolled out its new Ethnicity Estimate Preview to some 6,000 of its autosomal DNA customers for a first look yesterday, with a broader rollout to all customers within the next month or so." "One regional breakdown of particular use to African Americans is the division of West Africa into six regions .....  Another genealogy useful breakdown is that of the British Isles .....   Yet another is the division of Southern Europe to separate the Iberian peninsula from Italy and Greece. " Read the entire article

The following announcement was written by the Mixed Roots Foundation - and brought to my attention by Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter. Mixed Roots Foundation has partnered with two DNA testing companies, 23andMe and Family Tree DNA, that will help adoptees and their families discover their biological and cultural roots through DNA testing. “We know, from both research and experience, that access to one’s own information is a vital part of life, including shaping a positive identity." In celebration of its one-year anniversary, the Mixed Roots Foundation today proudly announces the creation of the first-ever Global Adoptee Genealogy Project (GAGP) and the establishment of the Filling in the GAGP Fund to help adopted people and their families discover their biological and cultural roots through DNA testing. Mixed Roots will launch the Fund at the Adoptee Comedy Show on Monday, May 21, 2012, at the Punch Line Comedy Club in San Francisco, CA. GAGP’s services wil...

Family Tree DNA - GREEK DNA Project I still can't grasp what DNA charts are telling me (although maps seem to make a little more sense).  It is not intuitive for me and I haven't put the time in to really understand it. I did, however, find this site interesting.  The spreadsheets are filled with Greek names.  You can view both the Y-DNA and mtDNA Results in spreadsheets, maps and other reports.   Background: " The Primary aim of the Greek DNA project is to help others of Greek ancestry to gain the type of genealogical and anthropological deep ancestry information that I have, from having my own Y-DNA and mtDNA tested. A second very important aim is to expand upon the information that has already been gained from scientific studies on the DNA lineages found in Greece . We could choose to just have basic tests done that tell us our haplogroups, and tell us where we fit generally in the family trees of humanity,.. but we can also test more extensive...

Tsakanikas Genealogy Website Also includes the surname Tsinias , his mother's name. This website consists of the following: Origin of the names Family Trees DNA Pictures Links

Airing on the National Geographic Channel - August 30, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. (check local listings for times) - " The Human Family Tree ". "Retrace the deepest branches of the human species to reveal interconnected stories hidden in our genes". Meet GEORGE DELIS George is a 63-year-old retired community district manager in Astoria, Queens. After 37 years on the job, he is like a mayor emeritus of the area. George was born in Greece and moved to the United States after World War II. An avid collector of ancient Greek artifacts, he traces his family back to Asia Minor. The results of his DNA test show that he belongs to haplogroup R1b, one of the most common European lineages. His ancestors were among the first modern humans to settle in Europe more than 30,000 years ago. Read more: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/the-human-family-tree-3706/Overview#tab-bios#ixzz0OwmsEHIR On a single day on a single street, with the DNA of just a couple of hundred random ...