King Harald Bluetooth treasure trove

jewelry, coins, Thor's hammer found by thirteen year old

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/13-year-old-boy-unearths-legendary-danish-kings...

This is amazing. It's the dream of every person with a metal detector.

Just wow!

Harold is my 28th Great Grandfather. Perhaps I should put in a claim.

>4 Rood: But you'll have to share it with the other 3,293,829,753 descendants! (Okay that's a totally bogus number but I imagine it's a very large number).

Yes. It goes without saying that we all have tens of thousands of distant relatives, and truthfully, that ultimately we are *all* related. It's just somewhat fascinating (and humourous, too), whenever we run across these occasional, unexpected connections with the past ... all due to the computer's 30,000 foot "Big Picture".

I'm just jealous as I have no one (that I know of) in my family tree that is famous. Except me, of course, because I'm a legend in my own mind.

Pmackey, you missed this one http://nautil.us/issue/56/perspective/youre-descended-from-royalty-and-so-is-eve...

Yeah, PMackey ... whenever you have an opportunity to inspect your family tree ... I'm confident you'll be amazed at the number of famous names in your family. One valuable consequence is that they make history that much more meaningful.

The initial surprise may stroke a fellow's ego just a bit, but that quickly fades ... to be replaced by genuine wonder and appreciation for the insight it gives to the passage of time. History is more than a simple collection of dates and events ... discovering a few of our personal connections with the past makes history come vibrantly alive.

I've done genealogy for my family. I can trace my father's side (Mackey) only back to the American Civil War, using census records and the National Archives. What I found was AWESOME for me because we never knew much about our family roots other than a few legends. The reality was so much better (for me).

I have heroes as many people do. Mine are, in order: Ulysses S. Grant, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and William Tecumseh Sherman. I found my ancestor served in the 40th Illinois Infantry and thus served under Grant and Sherman. I found out which battles he fought in, which battles he was wounded in, where he was captured, where he was exchanged, where he rejoined his regiment, etc. I was quite excited for a long time. Unfortunately, I can't push the Mackey side back further because I don't know who his father was.

My maternal grandparents were German immigrants in the 1800s so I have no known way of pushing back my research for them.

My Mom's side, from New England, is in some way easier. Some branches intersect with documented trees which makes it much easier.

On my father's side, from one of the grandmothers (Gibbs) I have traced the lineage back to a Gibb who resided in Germany in the 1600s. I always wondered whether he was a merchant or a royalist who fled the Puritans.

Oh, and my grandfather's Army discharge papers were signed by a Major Dwight Eisenhower. Family legend say Eisenhower tried to persuade my grandfather and great uncle to remain in the Army.

And you're right >9 Rood: it amazes me to find myself so connected to history.

>10 pmackey: Nice ! Family stories are the best

>11 Macumbeira: Amen. Family stories put a human face on history.

I have info over my ancestry for 200.000 years. I submitted a cheek swap for a DNA feedback. Fascinating stuff.

https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/

Besides that, family tree goes back till 1500 ( documented ) and even 1300 ( undocumented and apocryphal )

>13 Macumbeira: I read an article I think in the Washington Post about the three DNA tests available and which one was best. The answer was, it depends on what you want. I'm tempted, but have resisted so far because I'm afraid all they could tell me is my ancestors were from the British Isles and western Europe. Something I already know. What did you like about the NatGeo genographic test?

I understand your remark. It is indeed a very broad sweep. Nevertheless, there are some interesting things to notice.
I compared my results ( fatherline )with my nephew's ( the son of the brother of my mother ).
We are all "out of Africa" but my mother's dna came from people, who followed the Mediterranean, lingered a bit on the East side and then walked to the North west, crossing the Alps and end in Northern France. My own Dna ( male line ) and my father showed people coming out of Africa, heading East until half way Russia and then turned back north west and came to Northern France through North Germany.

>15 Macumbeira: Sounds like your ancestors took the grand tour. Amazing to think that most of that migration was on foot.

New book just out on the topic:

Who We Are and How We Got Here by David Reich

David Reich is THE authority on this.

>17 stellarexplorer: ... Thanks! Reading the first few pages at Amazon.com's "Look Inside" ... was a mind-blowing experience. I had to tear myself away long enough to put in my order, so thanks, again!

>19 Rood: My pleasure!