I was recently asked if I thought that the Cherokee Indians were descendants of Atlantis.  The Cherokee have always had physical differences that differentiated themselves from surrounding tribes. It was not until the advent of advanced DNA testing that the differences really come to light.  Many individuals who thought that their DNA would show Native American ancestry were surprised to find that they have a genetic connection to the Middle East. 

The DNA Discovery

According to the National Geographic, in the past it was thought that Native Americans had genes from East Asians. It’s recently come to light that a large number of the population, close to one third, has DNA that’s from either Europe or the Middle East. How this information was discovered was due to an arm bone of a small child that was found in Siberia. His genes revealed that he has both Native American DNA and Europe and Middle East DNA. This is believed to be the oldest genome sequenced in modern humans. The remains of another individual was sequenced as well and similar results were revealed. Those remains are thought to date back 17,000 years.

Why This Can Be Helpful

Some Native Americans have had genetic issues that have been rather puzzling. Thanks to this new information that has come to light, academics are starting to rethink the peopling of North America. Also, there have been a number of archaeological finds that just don’t match up to where we have thought Native Americans have come from. Knowing some early North Americans have Middle Eastern roots, some of these inconsistencies do make sense.

Are the Cherokee Atlanteans?

While I would love to say the Cherokee are descendants of Atlantis, it’s probably not the case. I’m more inclined to label them as descendants of early middle eastern explorers or traders.  I think the Berbers and Basques are more likely candidates for being descendant of Atlantis.  I also think that North America was a much more vibrant cultural destination in the remote past. It was not the wilderness that later explorers found in the 16th and 17th century.  I think as the DNA map of the world changes, academics will be more inclined to look for evidence of advanced civilization in places that have been ignored in the past.