18 Oct
My DNA Journey
My DNA Journey took me to this cultural heritage monument. It is the Roman Bridge Gate, built in 135 AD over the Guadalquivir River in Cordoba, Spain. It stands adjacent to The Great Mosque, built in 711 AD. Cordoba was the capital of the Roman province of Hispania, the primary reason I visited there.
My DNA Journey is about cultural genealogy. For years I have been searching for my ancestors. Why? I never knew my father because he died when I was eight months old. My parents barely knew each other; and it wasn’t until after my father’s death that my mother learned my father had a Mexican heritage.
My mother was very prejudiced. She kept me from knowing and associating with my father’s family. I was 30 years old when I found them, and learned about the Hispanic part of my heritage. I completed DNA testing available from the National Geographic Genographic Project at:
The knowledge gained from my DNA Journey is sending me in several new directions on my genealogical quest. For instance, I learned I have a Jewish Diaspora marker. What does that mean for my research? I am also a third Scandinavian. Exactly how are these two discoveries related? You will be very surprised!
This is a cultural anthropology website. And yes, genealogy is all about culture more than you might have expected. Over the next few months I will share more of my cultural genealogy findings. I will give you some thoughts on how you can connect your own heritage with the various cultures it may include. Such findings are much more exciting than a pedigree chart!
Please comment on your own DNA journey, or leave a cultural heritage short story to share. And be sure to Explore More while you are on this site. You might discover the Global Village where your ancestry began. If you are writing your own, or someone else’s personal history, you will find a wealth of cultural information that may add interest to your story.
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