Who are the primary ancestors of the Maltese?

[Sikeliot]

Like the Ashkenazi thread.

To me, the answer is obvious. But some people hold onto some strange ideas.

[Smeagol]

Sicilians.

[Sikeliot]

Sicilians.

From when? The first settlers of Malta were pre-Greek inhabitants of Sicily in 5000 BC, but Maltese also have in many cases common Sicilian surnames, traced back to specific towns, suggesting recent origin.

[StonyArabia]

Sicilians from ancient to present times with little Berber, Arab, and Levantine ancestry.

[Smeagol]

From when? The first settlers of Malta were pre-Greek inhabitants of Sicily in 5000 BC, but Maltese also have in many cases common Sicilian surnames, traced back to specific towns, suggesting recent origin.

Both ancient, and modern.

[Pjeter Pan]

From when? The first settlers of Malta were pre-Greek inhabitants of Sicily in 5000 BC, but Maltese also have in many cases common Sicilian surnames, traced back to specific towns, suggesting recent origin.

From Sicily, the people were called sicani
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malta

[Sikeliot]

People voting the first option are essentially saying Maltese are descended from the Sicilian population before it received Greek influence.

[Pjeter Pan]

Sicani
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicani

[Sikeliot]

From Sicily, the people were called sicani
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malta

Sicani were believed to be Iberian by one of the Greek historians but really they were just a Neolithic population, and if Maltese have ancestry from them it's obvious in their haplogroups -- full of J2, E1b1b etc

[Stormer99]

Maltese are the closest thing there is to Sicilians.

[StonyArabia]

Neolithic means Levantine ?

[Stormer99]

Yes Neolithic means from the Neolithic farmers of the Levant.

[Virtuous]

Yes Neolithic means from the Neolithic farmers of the Levant.


Neolithic means Levantine ?

No and no,

many mistakingly relate the question about race with the famous Neolithic temples in Malta which are called "Neolithic" only due to the time that they were constructed (circa 4500BC and further). From the least that I can remember, every time I have read about the matter I have noticed two points: 1: The skulls are unquestionably Europid. 2: The skulls found were of 3 types: Naturally dolichocephalic (priests?), Mesocephalic(common stock) and unnaturally/forcedly elongated skulls (due to some rituals practiced).

The people during those times seemed to practice a cult that is very similar to the Serpent cult that coincides Ancient Egypt as well as the Mother Goddess of Healing, which precedes the same types of beliefs later on held by other Pagan tribes in Europe.

Pre-Historic "Sicilians" were nothing like modern day Sicilians as they had no Levantine-Phoenician admix.

My guess would be that E1b and R1b/a are the most reasonable haplogroup ties.

[Bobby Martnen]

Wait, do some people actually think the Maltese are a diasporic British population?