Frysk cluster or frisian cluster.
After testing my DNA at FTDNA.com it apeared that my haplotype or better SNR was Z-159.
Looking around with google quickly delivered the Ivanhoe-cluster. People with Z-159 who were divided into two groups:
A british and a Baltic group among whome there was a big jewesh membership. The combination led Mikhael Rogov to the romantic Ivanhoe name.
He thinks the British went to spain to become jewesh and went through the mediteranean Sea to end in Eastern Europe. Because this is highly speculative a different vision is also possible.
Since my ancestors lived at least 400 years in Friesland, and their names are very frisian (Bauke, Klaas, Wybren and Sybren) they must have lived there quite some longer time. Also the DNA is typical for the north of the Netherlands of which friesland is a part, so it is very likely that the root of Z-159 lies in Friesland.
Some analysys of the members of the Ivanhoe cluster, together with my ancestor (Altena) and a probable member (Post) showed that the tree split up around 500 AD between the remaining frisian and the british group. The remaining frisian split up around 1000 AD between Post and what later became Altena. The british group split up around 1500 AD into some groups of which one group left for the Baltic and one member must have found a jewish bride. Look here for the Analysis.
This British group must have left after 500 AD but at least before 1500 AD, or earlier depending on genealogical knowledge of members of this group.
So why friesland?
Friesland is still special for its own independant language which is most similar to the english language. For a long time this was explained by the mix of people around the Nort Sea. But this is not a really convincing answer. Recent DNA-research looks to suggest that there was a common ancestor for the English and the Frisians that lived in the country between england and friesland called Doggersland. This land got gradually flooded by the sea and a part of the people went west to england and a part east to friesland. Then the frisians lived on the very fertile clay-land on top of small hills called Terp which they had erected themselves to protect their houses and cattle from the higher sea-levels.
Archological research showed that around 500 AD this country was so prosperous that in a lot of the 1000 terps gold was found. They were rich from farming and trading so they could save some gold for jewelry and maybe for their pension.
The frisians were living close to the sea and were good sailors, but also they had farmland that delivered more then they needed for themselves so they went out to sel it and exchange it for other goods. This resulted in a frisian presence around the north sea and the baltic sea. Frisian coins are found all around indicating their trade in England, Schotland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Letvia, Belarus etc. Through the Rine and Meuse river they also traded to the Germans inland all the way to Switzerland.
Apart from trading they also were a strong force to fight their enemies. The Romans that occupied Friesland for some years were thrown out by the frisian warriors which made them famous with the other German peoples. Later they fought with (!) the Romans in Great Britain. Later they got a statement of independance from Charles the Great for helping him defend Rome. As crusaders they became famous warriors again. They were strong and tall, raised with good food in their homeland, which was save from enemy attacks because of the special geography of friesland. Small terps surrounded by water and marshes made it difficult for a big army to conquer it.
So around 500 AD it is very likely that families were bigger and more sons made the possibilty for a male-DNA line all the way to today more possible. Then part of this family left for trade or War to England/Schotland and from there to the Baltic. Maybe they did not leave right away, probably somewere between 500 and 1000 AD. When more DNA-results with Z-159 are found this date can maybe be more precise.
Created: 2013-02-27 23:03:04