"Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history."
Carter G. Woodson
A few weeks ago, a dear friend said some disparaging words while voicing his opinion about genealogical DNA tests, in what seemed to me to be a kind of voicing of frustration aimed at 'The Establishment'. "That Ancestry" shit is a hoax! How can they claim that DNA testing can determine where you come from? The cradle of civilization is in Africa!"
Well, in defense of my friend's ranting, well documented theories of migrations of humans from Africa has been recorded dating back as far as 300,000 years ago. But in defense of the same support for the theory, the migration of modern humans out of Africa is based on mitochondrial DNA. The acceptance of the technology of genealogical DNA is his rationale for his protests toward his 'conspiracy theory adversaries' (The Establishment).
I liken these types of discussions to the ancestor who used a rock to 'pound' a wooden stake in the ground meets the inventor of a mallet trying to convince him of the benefits the future of hammer and nail technology.
Additionally, it is Mesopotamia that is deemed the cradle of civilization. The area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (in modern day Iraq), is often referred to as the cradle of civilization because it is the first place where complex urban centers grew. The origin of humans and the place where humans became civilized are not quite the same.
More importantly, the desire to know where a individual person originated is very personal. The quest to find out where you come from, often satisfies the nature of those individuals who wish to journey into the past for whatever reason. One person's glee derived from studying a grandparent's portrait or photograph should not be minimized by another, nor should the amazement of discovering a census record placing a now-deceased loved one in a surprisingly positive home at a pivotal point in time, explaining the the trail to the present for an entire family.
I have been a supporter of Ancestry.com products since 1997, beginning with that year's version of Family Tree Maker, released by Brøderbund Software and have subscribed to the company's online services for several years. I highly recommend AncestryDNA test kits, for which I have gifted to many of my friends and family. Both my wife and I have completed the AncestryDNA testing and find its results and continual updates invaluable to our personal journey into our family history.
I highly recommend to anyone requiring information related to the advantages of embracing the technological advancements made in researching one's family history to check out Juliana Szcs' article When Your Family History Meets Technology at: https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2019/02/25/when-your-family-history-meets-technology/
