Do modern south Germans have Etruscan admixture?

Canadian actress Ingrid Haas

There have been many theories and DNA studies regarding the ancient Etruscans, modern Tuscans, and their origins. The conclusions have, at times, been a bit incongruent and inconclusive. However, it seems to be certain that the ancient Etruscans were largely of ancient Anatolian/Mediterranean origin. Modern Turks are, in large part, of Turko-Mongolian origin... an admixture which occurred at least 2,000 years after the Anatolians migrated westward to modern day Tuscany. This was a part of a much larger and longer westward migration of ancient Mediterraneans.

Modern German speaking nations--those of ethnic German root stock--are a mixture of Proto-European with Teutonic. Arnold Swartznegger is a good example of a south German with probably a relatively equal amount of Teutonic and Proto-European genes. In the east Alpine regions where German, Italian, and Slavic speakers are in close proximity, the distinctions are less "ethnic," and more cultural. In other words, an Americans' concept of a stereotypical German or Italian wouldn't apply much there.


Ancient Rhaetian Alpine Nation

Surprisingly little is known about the Etruscans. We know that they had a great civilization which was chiefly defined by the region known today as Tuscany; and to a lesser extent also stretching down along the western coast of Campania, and northeastward into what is today southern Lombardy. As time has passed, anthropologists have slowly concluded that the Etruscans took to the eastern Alps. This may have been due to the increasing presence of the Celto-Gaulish people in some places. Battles between Etruscans and Gauls seems to have been very minimal; the Etruscans and Gauls may have naturally expanded to the paths of least resistance. Both the Etruscans and Cisalpine Gauls had, at different times, something of a loosely defined regional nation. The Rhaetian tribal federation, which existed after the Romans defeated the Etruscans, were likely of largely Proto-European and Cisalpine/Transalpine Celts. The Etruscan presence also could well have occurred as a result of them taking refuge from the Romans, and heading into the eastern Alps.

The Raeti (spelling variants: Rhaeti, Rheti or Rhaetii; Ancient Greek: Ῥαιτοί, transcription Rhaitoí) were a confederation of Alpine tribes, whose language and culture may have derived, at least in part, from the Etruscans.

Although not long ago it may have been quite a stretch to ask if there were Etruscans and/or Etruscan influence in places like Switzerland or Austria, I now pose the question. It's not all that important of a question, but more of a mild curiosity.

Veronese Italian

Tyrolian German

The Rhaetian nation likely existed in some form prior to the advance of both the Etruscans and Gauls, and had its more acknowledged era after the Romans had conquered most of the Italian peninsula. In addition, the presence of the incoming Teutons from the north also reinforced Rhaetian identity and impetus to defend themselves. There could have been newly arrived Celts in the west, Slavic tribes to the east, as well as westward migrating Avars from central Asia. Since the Rhaetians seem to have adopted, as least in part, the Etruscan language--as well as the Etruscan written language--this Etruscan influence may have been much larger than once thought. Perhaps they led by example through their technology, architecture, and written expression.

Getting back to the ancient westward migrating Mediterraneans, they seemed to have moved across southern Europe by land, sea, and traveled across the north African coast. This likely occurred after the melting of the last glacial movement, about 9,000 years ago. The ancient Berbers were probably a remnant population. They moved into Iberia and into what now is France and the British Isles.. and to some extent further northward. Ireland, a thousand years or so ago, had a remnant population according to written sources. The Scottish Picts were, in part, likely a remnant population.

Irish dancer Gillian Norris

Ingrid Haas... Etruscan ancestry?

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