On 12/06/2025 8:46 pm, taf wrote:
Details are a little light on the ground at this point, but there is apparently a DNA study to be published in the coming months that
formally reports the results of a study that was discussed at a recent scientific meeting. Until the paper comes out, we only have the various
press releases to go by, but the gist of it is that DNA analysis was performed on 33 (30 male, 3 female) attributed Piast-family cathedral entombments dating from about 1100 to the 1400s. They apparently found
the same extremely rare Y-haplotype in the males.
The kicker is that the closest relative of that has been identified was
a ~6th century Pict from Scotland. That seemingly is going to cause some reevaluation of the genealogical foundation legend.
Now that some of reports are claiming a Scottish origin for the Piast
dynasty, I guess that it is just a matter of time before somebody claims
that they are direct male-line descendants of the Pictish king Bridei
son of Maelchú (by far the most famous sixth century Pict), to be
followed not long after that by somebody claiming to have identified
each intervening generation.
For the moment, I guess I am willing to acknowledge the possibility that
the Piasts and some random sixth century Pict might have had a common
direct male-line ancestor living a few thousand years ago, but I remain skeptical.
Stewart Baldwin
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