19938 - Anthropological Genetic History: The Visigoths Connection to New Mexican Families

Course Overview

The Visigoths first emerge as a distinct people in the Balkans during the fourth century. They flourished and spread during the late Roman Empire in Late Antiquity, or the Migration Period. The Visigoths emerged from earlier Gothic groups (possibly the Thervingi) who had invaded the Roman Empire beginning in 376 and had defeated the Romans at the Battle of Adrianople in 378. The Visigoths invaded Italy under Alaric I and sacked Rome in 410.  After the Visigoths sacked Rome, they began settling down, first in southern Gaul and eventually in Spain and Portugal, where they founded the Kingdom of the Visigoths. The connection between certain New Mexican families and the Visigoths will be explored. A short film will be shown and we’ll discuss which families show the markers that are most identified with this ancient civilization.