Medieval Mummy Perfectly Preserved in Siberia

Researchers working in the Russian High Arctic in Siberia excavated the naturally mummified remains of a woman who lived approximately 800 years ago.

This is the first woman found in the site called Zeleny Yar.

Her hair and eyelashes were perfectly preserved thanks in part to a copper plate that covered her face. The plate helped slow decomposition.

New DNA Information About Native American Ancestry

The 11,500-year-old remains of a 6 week old child found in Alaska have revealed new information on the ancestors of all Native Americans. It is believed that she is from a previously unknown genetic group who crossed the Bering Sea from Russia via a land bridge that later disappeared.

Scientists believe that evidence in her DNA shows that a single wave of migrants moved into the continent from Siberia just over 20,000 years ago. Since I have Mohawk ancestry this story is extremely fascinating to me.

Read more at Alaskan infant's DNA tells story of 'first Americans'

The Origins of Red-Haired Mummies in China

 Archaeologists and scientists  have found the oldest and best-preserved mummies in the Tarim Basin area of China. Within a Bronze Age cemetery first discovered by Swedish archaeologists in 1934, some of the oldest mummies every found have had their DNA tested. The findings were a surprise. 

Previously the origins of the earliest settlers in this area were thought to be either  nomadic herders from the steppes of Russia and Kazakhstan, or from modern Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan. But DNA results indicate the most common mtDNA haplogroup was C, suggesting origins in southern Siberia.

“Considering the presence of haplogroups H and K in the Xiaohe people and the geographical distribution of shared sequences, we conclude that the west Eurasian component observed in the Xiaohe people originated from western Europe, and maternal ancestry of the Xiaohe people might have close relationships with western Europeans,”

Continue reading at DNA Reveals These Red-Haired Chinese Mummies Come From Europe And Asia

Credits: Image is a screenshot from Forbes.com

Conference: Russia and The Netherlands in the XVIIth – XXth centuries

15th-16th of May 2013 The Institute of World History of The Russian Academy of Sciences is organizing an international conference “Russia and The Netherlands in the XVII^th – XX^th centuries: new researches and actual problems”.

The conference will be held in conjunction of “The Year of The Russian Federation in The Netherlands” and “The Year of The Kingdom of The Netherlands in Russia” in 2013. 

As a part of the conference there will be a round table concerning the study of the history of The Netherlands. All the scholars who have a special interest in the history of this country and also authors of the relevant textbooks are welcome to take part in this round table.

It will take place in the Institute of World History, the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is in the main building of RAS.

The adresss: 32A Leninskiy prospect, 
Moscow, Russia, 119334 
Phone: +7(495)938-10-09
Fax: +7(495)938-22-88

NEW! Naturalization Certificates & Alien Registrations online

Naturalization Records today added Naturalization Certificates and Alien Registration Cards for several individuals in Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Massachusetts and Colorado. Is one your ancestor?

*Added Certificate of Naturalization Elizabeth Koval, from Czechoslovakia, in Pennsylvania 1945

*Added McKeesport, Alleghany County, Pennsylvania Alien Identification Card for Elizabeth Koval 1940

*Added Certificate of Naturalization Alexander Johnson Duncanson from Canada or United Kingdom, of East Jordan, Michigan 1925 + wife & children

*Added Certificate of Naturalization Michael Chekorin from Russia, New York City 1940

*Added Naturalization Certificate William Parker Deerfield, Franklin County Massachusetts 1859

*Added Certificate of Citizenship Henry A. Foye from Ireland Arapahoe County Colorado 1894

Russian Immigrants to Canada 1898-1922

The Likacheff-Ragosine-Mathers collection (LI-RA-MA) contains documents created between 1898 and 1922 by the consular offices of the Russian Empire in Canada.

The series on passports and identity papers contains about 11,400 files of Jewish, Ukrainian and Finnish immigrants who came to Canada from the Russian Empire.

The series includes passport applications and questionnaires containing general information and is searchable online.