Re: LIGURIAN AND PICTISH

recent historians of scotland and ireland have done an examination of
the evidence that the picts and other aborigional peoples of the
celtic isles were matrileneal. albert smythe is one. he concludes
that this is a misunderstanding of the complicated local king system
in the isles. they weren't handing inheritance to their mothers
sisters and their relatives they were rotating the kingship among
interdependant tribes that at the earliet times were still unable to
assert authority over each other. as the economy and military
situation changed one local king would dominate others which may have
ended this system of kingship sharing.

this is dificuly to prove either way but matralineal inheritance is
no sure thing in early scotland and ireland.however popular a notion.
smythe makes a very convincing arguement using the old scottish king
lists, but he admits there isn't enough evidence to be sure.

there are a few words on the "pictish stones" that seem to be non
indoeuropean, but not enough to prove much. even the dating of these
stones is likely giving them an antiquity they may not deserve. the
basques had early medieval fishing stations on the west coast of
ireland,by 850 ad, and newfoundland by 1325. they could have donated
the odd words and perhaps the local legends of a ""different people "
such as those legend about the island of fetlar.

in gaelic sources the picts were usualy called the cruinthe. they are
refered to in the annals of ulster and connaught as hving their own
territories from time immemorial and having their own kings. by the
late middle ages all reference to a separate language disappears but
earlier they are refered to as requiring translators when treating
with them.

iberia seem a likely source of other people but there isn't much firm
evidence. however some was there before the gaels and that some one
built skara brae stone hendge and the irish monuments. they could
have been brythonic celts or even pre celtic indoeuropeans, but i
doubt we will ever know.