Ancestral healing – who are our ancestors?

I was impressed by the detail in a friend’s DNA ancestry test with mylivingdna.com, so I tried it for myself:

This was the results: I am excited to discover I am connected to a rich variety of peoples.

Your Recent Ancestry is based on the DNA you’ve inherited from both of your biological parents. The scientific term for this genetic code is your ‘autosomal DNA’. Typically, recent ancestry results can trace back approximately 10 generations in your family lineage. We compare your DNA to population groups around the world to determine where your ancestors may have been from.

English – 48.4% (they gave percentages for specific regions)

South Italian – 14.1% (surprise!)

Northern Irish/SW Scottish 12.2%

Danish 7.5%

Aegean 5% (surprise!)

South Irish 3.4%

South Welsh 2.9%

Cornish 3%

Finnish 2%

Burusho (Hunza) People in NW Pakistan 1.4% (well chuffed! Especially since I stayed with the Hunza ‘Kalash’ tribe for a few weeks in 1992 and absolutely loved them!)

The Burusho (Hunza) people live amongst the mountains and valleys of Northern Pakistan, where geographic isolation has helped to create and preserve a unique culture, and a language that seems unrelated to any other in existence. Nestled between the Indian subcontinent, the Eurasian steppe, and the high Himalaya, the Burusho homeland has always been part of a highway connecting east to west and north to south. Merchants, soldiers, slaves and nomads have all passed through this region, with many staying to contribute to the rich regional and genetic tapestry found here today. The Burusho people claim ancestry from the soldiers of Alexander the Great, although genetic evidence does not appear to support this. The truth might be even more interesting, with a mosaic of different influences from as far as East Asia (possibly from the Mongol expansion), the Middle East, and India. There is also a genetic link between Burusho people and the Sinte Romani (gypsies) who may have originated from this region before migrating to Central Europe. It is also interesting to note that despite linguistic and cultural differences, scientists have observed that the Burusho people are very genetically similar to surrounding Pakistani people. The valleys of Northern Pakistan may seem isolated, but the genetic signature found here reveals just how global this region’s heritage really is. Religions: Islam & shamanism.

My mother line signature belongs to the H1 group.

H1 is the most commonly found subgroup of H found across Europe today. It is estimated to originate around 16,500 years ago. It is a very large group, and has around 64 subgroups of its own. Although most common in Europe, H1 is far from bounded by this continent. It is found as far as Africa, Central Asia and Siberia. Populations from southwest France, Sardinia and the Iberian Peninsular showcase the highest levels of H1 within Europe.

Maternal Ancestry H1 – shared by:

SW Libya 61%

Basque 27%

Portugal 25%

Cantabria 23.5%

Andalusia 24%

Moroccan Berbers 20%

Finland 18%

Spain 18.9%

Sweden 18%

Norway 18%

Denmark 18%

Sardinia 17%

Galicia 17%

Ireland 16%

UK 16%

Estonia 16%

Volga-Ural-Finno Ugric 13.6%

Catalonia 13%

Russia 13%

Morocco 12%

France 12%

North Italy 11%

Tuscany 11%

Hungary 11%

Austria 10%

Czech 10%

Sicily 10%

and so on…

Interesting! Apparently DNA can vary a great deal between siblings and even twins.