A team of Spanish scientists led by forensic expert Miguel Lorente dedicated 22 years to analyzing the DNA of Christopher Columbus’s bones. The remains of the famed navigator, who died in 1506, are housed in Seville Cathedral.
The researchers also examined the DNA of Columbus’s close relatives—his son Hernando and brother Diego. This helped to unveil the origins of the explorer, a topic that has sparked debates in academic circles for a long time.
What Did the Scientists Discover?
Experts from various countries have debated for years whether the remains in the cathedral truly belong to Columbus. It wasn’t until 2003 that Miguel Lorente and historian Marcial Castro received permission to open the tomb and study the bones.
At that time, technology only allowed for the analysis of small amounts of genetic material, as reported by the Daily Mail. However, over the two decades that followed, advancements in technology enabled scientists to accurately determine the identity of the remains.
“Thus, the previous theory that the remains in Seville belong to Christopher Columbus has been definitively confirmed,” Mr. Lorente stated. Advances in DNA analysis also helped clarify the nationality and origins of the explorer, who led Spain-funded expeditions in the 1490s and opened the door to European conquest of the Americas.
Columbus’s tomb in Seville Cathedral
Scotsman, Catalan, or Jew?
Some researchers were convinced that Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, while others suggested Poland or Spain. He has been attributed various nationalities, including Scotsman, Greek, Jew, Catalan, Portuguese, and Basque.
In a documentary titled “Columbus’s DNA: The True Origins,” recently aired by Spanish television, scientists finally unveiled the mystery.
It was revealed that Columbus was a Sephardic Jew from Western Europe. In the film, Miguel Lorente discussed the DNA analysis results of Columbus’s son, Hernando, as reported by CNN. “Both in the Y chromosome (male) and in the mitochondrial DNA (inherited from the mother), Hernando exhibits traits consistent with Jewish ancestry,” the forensic expert noted.
About 300,000 Jews lived in Spain before Catholic monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand ordered them and Muslims to convert to Catholicism or leave the country. As a result, Sephardic Jews dispersed around the world (the word “Sephard” in Hebrew means “Spain”).
After analyzing 25 potential locations for Columbus’s origins, the team concluded that he was born in Western Europe.
On Diseases Brought to America
The arrival of Europeans in America led to the spread of deadly diseases among the indigenous population, such as smallpox and measles. Many historians assert that Columbus’s crew also introduced venereal diseases, including syphilis. The first documented outbreak of syphilis in Europe occurred in the late 15th century, leading researchers to speculate that the disease made its way to America with Columbus’s expedition members.
However, a new study from the University of Basel (Switzerland) revealed that this disease was prevalent in America thousands of years before Columbus’s arrival.
Researchers found that treponematosis (an ancient disease similar to syphilis) existed in Brazil more than 2,000 years before the navigator embarked on his historic voyage in 1492.
The figure of Christopher Columbus is quite controversial among historians due to the treatment of indigenous peoples by members of his expeditions. In the years following the arrival of the Spanish in the New World, approximately seven million local inhabitants—85 percent of the population—perished.
Columbus died in the Spanish city of Valladolid. According to the navigator’s will, he wished to be buried on the island of Hispaniola, which is now shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. His remains were transported there in 1542, then to Cuba in 1795. It wasn’t until more than 100 years later, in 1898, that they were moved to Seville.