Springer Prehistoric Iberia: Genetics, Anthropology, and Linguistics

This book contains most of the conclusion reached by the geneticists, anthropologists, and linguists at the meeting `Prehistoric Iberia'. This is the first time that a particular historical topic has been approached from a multidisciplinary point of view in a single meeting. The novel conclusions reached include the following: There is no evidence of the demic diffusion model of people substitution in Iberia during the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition. New technologies were probably reached by circum-Mediterranean navigation. Present day Iberians are genetically very similar to North African populations and also to other more distant Eastern Mediterraneans, including Turks. Arab invasions in North Africa and Spain in 711 AD did not result in a massive gene flow. North African Berbers and Spaniards have maintained their old genetic identity; this invasion was mostly religious and cultural. Celts in Iberia are difficult to find. Basque and Berber languages are similar to many other extinct `Usko-Mediterranean' languages (Etruscan, Minoan). These `older languages' were later substituted by the Euro Asiatic languages (Latin, Greek, German). Finally, the Saharan area is considered as a radiation focus of peoples, (and languages) who were forced to emigrate from a fertile area where hyper-arid conditions began to develop after 7000 BC.