Forest_Dump
memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=10I'm curious about what you say. Could you explain more in detail?
You have LIVING ancestors who claim they descended from the ancient Indus Valley people?
Help me imagine how one could verify a claim like that!
Descent is a GENETIC thing, a genetic relationship. To me it seems more important for them to feel a CULTURAL kinship. If they know something about the civilization and feel a belonging and THINK of themselves as being cultural descendants, then I tend to think of them as being that. They "self-identify" as that.
I'd accept them as that even if their DNA would turn out to be largely immigrant or invader DNA. If something from the old civilization is in the heart, or in a way of looking at the world, then why should one care about the genes?
It has been such a long time. Or am I mistaken? I think of the Indus Civilization as dating from around 2000 BC or earlier.
So please explain a little. A grandmother and grandfather who believe they biologically descended from the old Indus people? Why not let them just go on believing? Find some way to contribute substance to their faith. Why try to test the idea? Why subject it to scientific verification?
Please correct me if I'm missing something or have misunderstood the situation.
Forest is archeologist/anthropologist. Maybe with this link you can send him PM
ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&u=10