Re: DNA boosts Herodotus’ account of Etruscans as migrants to Italy

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Francesco Brighenti" <frabrig@...>
wrote:

>
>
>
> Dear List,
>
> Due to some mysterious reason, Nicholas Wade's NYT article on
> Eruscan origins, whose link I had posted this morning, can now only
> be accessed after registering (for free) for NYTimes.com. Yet I had
> accessed it directly just a couple hours ago!

.................

Not really mysterious- I believe the NY Times only provides public
access for 48 hours.
......

[cut]...

> The data from the cattle DNA has also let the researchers
> calculate that the time at which the Tuscan and the Near Eastern
> cattle were part of the same population was 6,400 to 1,600 years
> ago, implying that the Etruscans set sail in this period.
>
> The new findings may prompt specialists to look for an
> arrival date compatible with the archaeological and linguistic data,
> which essentially means before the proto-Villanovan culture of
> 1100 to 900 B.C.

On the other hand, couldn't that date reflect the intrusion of other
breeds of cattle [perhaps introduced by IE Anatolian-speaking
invaders], separating the the Etruscan herds from close contact with
their ancestral populations? If so, it need not indicate the date of
arrival in Italy.

Best regards,
Ned Smith