My European Family: The First 54,000 Years (Bloomsbury Sigma)

Karin Bojs grew up in a small, broken family. At her mother's funeral she felt this more keenly than ever. So as part of the healing process, she decided to use DNA research to learn more about herself, her family and the interconnectedness of society. After all, we're all related. And in a sense, we are all family. My European Family tells the story of Europe and its people through its genetic legacy, weaving in the latest archaeological findings. Karin goes deep in search of her genealogy; by having her DNA sequenced and tested and effectively becoming an experimental subject, she was able to trace the path of her ancestors back, through the Viking age, through the Bronze age to the Neolithic and beyond into prehistory, back even further to a time when Neanderthals ran the European show. This book looks at genetics from a uniquely pan-European perspective, with the author meeting dozens of geneticists, historians and archaeologists in the course of her research. The genes of this seemingly ordinary modern European woman have a truly fascinating story to tell. The story of Europe and its people, told through its genetic legacy. 'An extraordinary book ... part travel narrative, part family history, part scientific study.' - Financial Times Karin Bojs grew up in a small, broken family. At her mother's funeral she felt this more keenly than ever. As a science journalist she was eager to learn more about herself, her family and the interconnectedness of society. After all, we're all related. And in a sense, we are all family. My European Family tells the story of Europe and its people through its genetic legacy, from the first wave of immigration to the present day, weaving in the latest archaeological findings. Karin goes deep in search of her genealogy; by having her DNA sequenced she was able to trace the path of her ancestors back through the Viking and Bronze ages to the Neolithic and beyond into prehistory, even back to a time when Neanderthals ran the European show. Travelling to dozens of countries to follow the story, she learns about early farmers in the Middle East and flute-playing cavemen in Germany and France, along with a whole host of other fascinating characters. This book looks at genetics from a uniquely pan-European perspective, with the author meeting dozens of geneticists, historians and archaeologists in the course of her research. The genes of this seemingly ordinary modern European woman have a truly fascinating story to tell, and in many ways it is the true story of Europe. At a time when politics is pushing nations apart, this book shows that, ultimately, our genes will always bind us together. Winner of the 2015 Swedish August Prize "Karin Bojs grew up in a small, broken family. At her mother's funeral she felt this more keenly than ever. As a science journalist, she was eager to learn more about herself, her family and the interconnectedness of society using DNA research. After all, we're all related. And in a sense, we are all family. My European Family tells the story of Europe and its people through its genetic legacy, from the first wave of immigration to the present day, weaving in the latest archaeological findings. Karin goes deep in search of her genealogy; by having her DNA sequenced she was able to trace the path of her ancestors back through the Viking and Bronze ages to the Neolithic and beyond into prehistory, even back to a time when Neanderthals ran the show. Travelling to dozens of countries to follow the story, she learns about early farmers in the Middle East, flute-playing cavemen in Germany and France, and a whole host of other fascinating characters. This book looks at genetics from a uniquely pan-European perspective, with the author meeting dozens of geneticists, historians and archaeologists in the course of her research. The genes of this seemingly ordinary modern European woman have a fascinating story to tell, and in many ways it is the true story of Europe. At a time when politics is pushing nations apart, this book shows that, ultimately, our genes will always bind us together."--Jacket Karin Bojs grew up in a small, broken family. At her mother's funeral she felt this more keenly than ever. As a science journalist she was eager to learn more about herself, her family and the interconnectedness of society. After all, we're all related. And in a sense, we are all family. My European Family tells the story of Europe and its people through its genetic legacy, from the first wave of immigration to the present day, weaving in the latest archaeological findings. Karin goes deep in search of her genealogy; by having her DNA sequenced she was able to trace the path of her ancestors back through the Viking and Bronze ages to the Neolithic and beyond into prehistory, even back to a time when Neanderthals ran the European show. Travelling to dozens of countries to follow the story, she learns about early farmers in the Middle East and flute-playing cavemen in Germany and France, and a whole host of other fascinating characters. This book looks at genetics from a uniquely pan-European perspective, with the author meeting dozens of geneticists, historians and archaeologists in the course of her research. The genes of this seemingly ordinary modern European woman have a truly fascinating story to tell, and in many ways it is the true story of Europe. At a time when politics is pushing nations apart, this book shows that, ultimately, our genes will always bind us together. Karin Bojs Grew Up In A Small, Broken Family. At Her Mother's Funeral She Felt This More Keenly Than Ever. As A Science Journalist, She Was Eager To Learn More About Herself, Her Family And The Interconnectedness Of Society Using Dna Research. After All, We're All Related. And In A Sense, We Are All Family. - Back Cover. Introduction: The Funeral -- Part 1: The Hunters. The Troll Child : 54,000 Years Ago ; Neanderthals In Leipzig ; The Flute Players ; First On The Scene In Europe ; Mammoths In Brno ; Cro-magnon ; The First Dog ; Doggerland ; The Ice Age Ends ; Dark Skin, Blue Eyes ; Climate And Forests ; Am I A Sami? ; Pottery Makes Its Appearance ; The Farmers Arrive -- Part 2: The Farmers. Syria ; The Boat To Cyprus ; The First Beer ; The Farmers' Westward Voyages ; The Homes Built On The Graves Of The Dead ; Clashes In Pilsen And Mainz ; Sowing And Sunrise ; Farmers Arrive In Skåne ; Ötzi The Iceman ; The Falbygden Area ; Hunters' And Farmers' Genes -- Part 3: The Indo-europeans. The First Stallion ; Dna Sequences Provide Links With The East ; Battleaxes ; Bell Beakers, Celts And Stonehenge ; The Nebra Sky Disc In Halle ; The Rock Engravers ; Iron And The Plague ; Am I A Viking? ; The Mothers ; The Legacy Of Hitler And Stalin -- The Tree And The Spring -- Questions And Answers About Dna. Karin Bojs. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Karin Bojs Grew Up In A Small, Broken Family, And At Her Mother's Funeral She Felt This More Keenly Than Ever. As Part Of The Healing Process, She Decided To Use Dna Research To Learn More About Herself, Her Family, And The Interconnectedness Of Society. She Went Deep In Search Of Her Genealogy, Having Her Dna Sequenced And Tested, And Effectively Becoming An Experimental Subject. Remarkably, She Was Able To Trace The Path Of Her Ancestors Through Recorded History And Into Prehistory. Through The Course Of Her Research, She Met Dozens Of Scientists Working In Genetic Research. The Narrative Travels The Length And Breadth Of Europe, From The Neanderthals Of Central Germany To The Cro-magnon In France. Bojs Visited The Ancient Caves, Realizing That Her Direct Ancestors Must Have Been Living In The Area When The Cave Art Was Painted. A Second Dna Analysis Later Revealed She Has Sami (i.e. Lapp) Genetic Material In Her Genome, And There Were Further Revelations About Her Hunter-gatherer, Bronze-age, And Iron-age Relatives, Including The Vikings. This Fresh, First-person Exploration Of Genes And Genetics Goes Well Beyond Personal Genealogy And Reveals Much About The Shared History Of European Peoples. Vitenskapsjournalist Karin Bojs bestemte seg for å gå i dybden på slektsforskningen og la DNA-trådene knytte henne sammen med fortidens folk. Hun fordypet seg i studier, intervjuet forskere og reiste til en rekke land for å følge sporene bakover. Siden 1980-tallet har DNA-teknologien revolusjonert kriminalteknikeres arbeid og bidratt til ny kunnskap innen biologi, medisin, arkeologi og historie. Selv privatpersoner som driver slektsforskning har begynt å bruke DNA-tester som verktøy. Ved hjelp av små variasjoner i DNA-sekvensen kan man finne søskenbarn, tremenninger og firmenninger, selv slektninger som levde for så lenge siden som siste istid - og enda lenger tilbake. Karin Bojs' arbeid resulterte i en bok om hennes opprinnelse og familie. Men også om resten av oss. Et sted, en gang, levde vår siste felles stamfar og stammor. Karin Bojs ble tildelt Augustprisen 2015 for denne boken. Omtalen er utarbeidet av BS