6 Ancient Minorities That Intrigue Scientists

Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – Sometimes, we encounter people who live in places where they don’t seem to belong. In many parts of the world, small groups of people differ greatly from the rest of the local population. They appear different, speak a strange language, and follow unknown traditions and customs.

Who are these people? Where did they come from? Scientists have tried to answer these questions, but it’s not always possible to shed light on the ancestry of minorities.

Several unusual tribes have caught scientists’ interest, and attempts have been made to unravel where these people originally came from. However, DNA studies have left us with many unanswered questions. Historians have theories, but in most cases, more evidence is required to determine why these people ended up in certain countries. Did they migrate in ancient times? Why is their DNA so different from locals?

We will now examine six ancient minorities that have long fascinated scientists.

1. Who Are The Mysterious Melungeons?

The Melungeons have long claimed their ancestors were the Portuguese who came to the New World. Sometimes called the “Lost Tribe of Appalachia, the Melungeons occupy portions of East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and eastern Kentucky. It is uncertain how small the population is, but there are only about 200 people who can call themselves Melungeons. The ancestry and identity of the dark-skinned Melungeons who live in isolation have been a highly controversial subject. Scientists have assumed the Melungeons are thought to be of mixed European, African, and Native American ancestry.

The Melungeons do have complicated roots, and their history became even more complex in 2012 when a DNA study revealed their direct lineage is more African than anything else.

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