The Oldest Family Tree
>> Friday, August 22, 2008
Many people know what genealogy is and have probably done at least a small family tree project in the past. Some people I know can trace their heritage back clear to Europe and the Mayflower. Two men in Germany, however, have everyone beat: they can trace their family tree 3000 years back. The finding was done via DNA testing against some caves in Germany known as the Lichtenstein Caves. Bones were found in there arranged neatly and were in good enough shape that scientists could extract the DNA and match it to people in the area. The BBC went to speak to one of these men recently.
I wonder what it would be like to know that your ancestors were buried right in your back yard? I am doing a genealogy report for a class now and I can only find information about 3 of my 8 great-grandparents and not a whole lot on my paternal side at all. How far can you trace back your family tree?
Photo from BBC article.
6 comments:
Good question! I am lucky enough to have a family tree dating back to the mid-1700's! But only on my mother's side. I have nothing for my father.
Good luck!
Don't we all have family members buried in the back yard? NO? Really? Oh, yeah, hey, I was just kidding!
@wendy, my mother-in-law is the one I was talking about with her family traced back to the Mayflower and I am jealous that I can barely do it to the late 1890's. *sniff*
@lunch buckets- My back yard? Nah... It would make for good party talk though...
I don't know much about my family tree. I think that is why I like to document even the smallest details of my life into my datebooks. I tape movie tix, business cards, etc to my datebooks so I know how I spent the day. Maybe someone will find my old datebooks in a cave and think I was interesting :) !!
My brother has always been interested in the family tree.
We have roots to the 17oo's too in Germany. I have a few nice things from my Great-grandparents too.
I love history and science....
I would love to go on a dig someday.
Sherry
@ Laura- I think it very interesting! maybe someone will publish it one day.
@ Sherry- I would really like that too. Even if it is just roaming around somewhere where someone MAY know something about my family...
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