Spanish scientists will reveal on Saturday (12) Details about the nationality of 15th century explorer Christopher Columbus, following DNA analysis to solve a centuries-old mystery.
Countries have argued over the origins and final resting place of the figure who led Spanish-funded expeditions from the 1490s onwards, paving the way for the European conquest of the Americas.
Many historians question the traditional theory that Columbus was a native of Genoa, Italy. Other theories range from Jewish Spanish or Greek, to Basque or Portuguese.
Researchers led by forensic expert Miguel Lorente tested small samples of remains buried in Seville Cathedral, considered by local authorities to be Columbus’s resting place, although there have been claims in other locations.
They compared them with those of known relatives and descendants and their findings are expected to be announced in a documentary titled “Columbus’s DNA: The True Origin” to be shown on Spain’s national broadcaster, TVE, on Saturday.
When explaining the research to journalists on Thursday (10), Lorente did not reveal the conclusions, but said they confirmed previous theories that the remains in Seville belong to Columbus.
“Today it has been possible to verify this with new technologies, so the previous partial theory that the Seville remains belong to Christopher Columbus has been definitively confirmed,” he said.
Research into nationality has been complicated by a number of factors, including the large amount of data. But “the result is almost absolutely reliable,” said Lorente.
Columbus died in Valladolid, Spain, in 1506, but wished to be buried on the island of Hispaniola, now shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. His remains were taken there in 1542, transferred to Cuba in 1795 and then, as had long been thought in Spain, to Seville in 1898.
In 1877, workers found a lead coffin buried behind the altar in the cathedral of Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic, containing a collection of bone fragments that the country says belonged to Columbus.
Lorente said both claims could be true as both sets of bones were incomplete.
*With reporting by Emma Pinedo
This content was originally published in Scientists must reveal mystery about the origins and burial of Christopher Columbus on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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