Centuries after his death, DNA testing officially confirms the famed explorer Christopher Columbus’ final resting place as well as his actual ethnicity.
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Per the New York Post, forensic medical expert José Antonio Lorente announced the partial set of human remains that were housed in an “elaborate catafalque” in the Seville Cathedral located in Spain are those of Columbus.
Lorente and his team of scientists from the University of Granada were able to identify the remains using samples that were taken from Christopher Columbus’ son, Fernando, as well as one of his brothers, Diego.
“Today, thanks to new technology, the previous partial theory that the remains in Seville are those of Christopher Columbus has been definitively confirmed,” Lorente stated.
Columbus died and was buried in what is now Spain in 1503. Nearly 40 years after his death, his remains were said to have been taken to the island of Hispaniola, which is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Before his death, the now-infamous explorer had requested to be buried on the island.
They were then believed to be moved to Cuba in 1795 and then again to Seville in 1898. However, experts debated over the past century if Columbus’ remains were actually moved to Seville. They believed the remains were possibly still in the Dominican Republic.
Columbus made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain. Although determined to discover a water route west from Europe to Asia, he died before reaching his goal.
During his quest, he stumbled upon the Americas. Despite being known for his “discovery,” he was not the first European to sail to the Americas. He did, however, introduce exploration and colonization in both North and South America.
Details About Christopher Columbus’ Ethnicity Emerge
Along with determining Christopher Columbus’ official resting place, Lorente announced the explorer’s official ethnicity.
Lorente and his team determined in their study that Columbus was likely Spanish and Jewish. The scientists believe Columbus had concealed his Jewish identity or converted to Catholicism to escape religious persecution.
The study noticeably contradicts the previous theory that Columbus was an Italian from Genoa. He sailed to the “New World” (aka the Americas) under the Spanish flag.
BBC further reports that there are an estimated 25 “conflicting theories” of where Christopher Columbus’ birthplace is. Among the locations were Poland, Great Britain, Greece, Portugal, Hungary and Scandinavia.
Lorente, who announced the study’s results in the documentary Columbus DNA: His True Origin, stated they were “almost absolutely reliable”.