Scientists Assert Skeletal Remains Within Spanish Church Possibly Attribute to Christopher Columbus
In a groundbreaking discovery, a team of researchers has announced that they believe the final resting place of Christopher Columbus, the infamous explorer who sailed the seven seas in the late 15th century, lies within Seville's grand cathedral in Spain.
Historically, Columbus' life remains shrouded in mystery, with his birthplace and genetic lineage a subject of debate. One thing we know for certain: he was not American-born, and his career was far from flawless, marked by a trail of controversy and questionable practices, including the enslavement and genocide of indigenous peoples in the lands he discovered.
Recently, a Spanish team asserted that remnants in Seville's cathedral belong to none other than Columbus himself. By testing DNA samples from the tomb along with those from Columbus' brother Diego and son Fernando, the researchers have claimed to have confirmed their hypothesis.
As José Antonio Lorente, a forensic researcher at the University of Grenada, explained to The Guardian, this newfound certainty comes thanks to modern technology. The research team has yet to publish a scientific paper on their findings, but they plan to reveal the explorer's true origins in a Spanish TV special airing on October 12, a day that marks Columbus' arrival in the Americas. While some might feel this presentation style detracts from the scientific integrity of the research, others may view it as an innovative means of sharing discoveries with a wider audience.
Atlas Obscura reveals that Columbus' post-mortem journey has been anything but straightforward. After his death in Valladolid, Spain, in 1506, his remains were moved to Seville at the request of his brother Diego. However, in 1542, following Columbus' career-defining voyage, his body was transferred to the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Santo Domingo. This relocation continued in 1795 when Spain lost control of the Dominican Republic; Columbus' remains were moved to Cuba, where they resided for a century before being returned to Seville. Thisgame of moving remains made determining Columbus' final resting place even more challenging.
Adding another layer of mystery to the situation, in 1877, a lead box containing bone fragments and the inscription, "Illustrious and distinguished male, Christopher Columbus," was discovered in the Santo Domingo Cathedral. This lead box, now buried in a monument in Santo Domingo Este, may hold crucial answers, as the complete set of Columbus' remains remains unknown. Lorente points out that both the remains in Seville and the box in Santo Domingo could potentially belong to the explorer himself.
Columbus' impact on the United States is undeniable, despite the fact that he never set foot on the North American mainland. His story has played a significant role in American mythmaking as the young nation strove to establish a unique identity apart from its British roots. However, it's essential to acknowledge that Columbus played little direct role in shaping the nation that now grapples with his legacy.
One fact remains universally accepted: before Columbus, people had inhabited the lands he discovered for millennia, and European jewelry had even made its way to North America before him. Columbus did not "discover" the New World; instead, he opened the door to countless such discoveries by indigenous people and explorers like himself.
- The confirmation that the remains within Seville's grand cathedral belong to Christopher Columbus is a defining moment in the history of science, thanks to modern technology and DNA testing.
- The future of understanding Columbus' true origins will be revealed on October 12, as a Spanish TV special delves into the team's groundbreaking research, which includes DNA samples from Columbus, his brother Diego, and son Fernando.
- Adding to the mystery surrounding Columbus' final resting place, a lead box containing bone fragments and an inscription was discovered in the Santo Domingo Cathedral in 1877, potentially holding crucial answers about his remains.
- Columbus' impact on the United States is undeniable, but it's essential to recognize that before Columbus, people had inhabited the lands he discovered for millennia, and European jewelry had even made its way to North America before him, making his "discovery" of the New World more a matter of opening the door to numerous subsequent discoveries by indigenous people and explorers alike.