In two or three weeks, the DNA analysis of the bone remains of Christopher Columbus, his son Hernando and his brother Diego will begin, with the intention that the first results will be obtained in about eight weeks. The investigation into the origin of the conqueror was stopped in 2005, given the lack of technology to carry out the study.
Scientific research on the origin of Christopher Columbus, paralyzed 16 years ago waiting for a technological advance already available, faces its final stretch with the study of the DNA of the bone remains attributed to the conqueror and two of his relatives, which could be ready for October 12. This was announced by José Antonio Lorente, professor of Forensic Medicine at the University of Granada and director of the multidisciplinary team, who, with the help of five genetic identification laboratories in Europe and America, will try to shed light on the origin of the navigator, discussion on which several theories circulate: the most widespread, and internationally accepted, is that he was born in Genoa, Italy.
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In two or three weeks, the DNA analysis of the bone remains of Christopher Columbus, his son Hernando and his brother Diego will begin, with the intention, explains Lorente, that in about eight weeks the first results will be obtained, which will be they will progressively generate until the conclusions are presented, if possible, on October 12. All of this will be recorded in a documentary film and in a miniseries co-produced by TVE and Story Producciones.
This investigation, initially promoted by the historian Marcial Castro, began in 2002. The following year the remains of Columbus and his relatives were exhumed from the cathedral of Seville, and it was not until 2005 that the extraction of the first batch was concluded. analysis, at which point the researchers decided to stop the study because the technology that was available was not “efficient” enough. “We were spending many grams of bone to get very little information,” explained Lorente. Therefore, they came to the conclusion that it was best to preserve the pieces while waiting for a new generation technological advance that, sixteen years later, has already occurred and that will allow a “drastic” improvement, both in DNA extraction of the bones (higher quantity and quality) as in the subsequent analysis.
The material they have for analysis is the following: four fragments of Christopher Columbus’s bones (the size of an almond), another seven of his son Hernando (one of them a tooth) and, finally, twelve bone fragments of his brother Diego. Previous genetic studies on the relationship of the bones of these three people, carried out between 2004 and 2005, gave “positive results.” “That does not mean a totally conclusive result. The data pointed to a father-son and brother-brother relationship (…). From there we have to increase the information generated so that these positive results become definitive conclusions ”.
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The final objective of this study is to confirm the origins of Columbus: “It is widely accepted that he is from Italy, we do not doubt it, but we can provide objective data that can be interpreted by historians to reach one conclusion or another”, added Lorente, that has referred to the theories defended by other Colombian scholars and that point to a Galician, Portuguese, Valencian, Basque or Majorcan origin, among others. DNA could provide information to rule out or support one theory or another, according to the project director.
In order for the final conclusion to be as reliable and corroborated as possible, five laboratories will participate in the process, two of which – one from Florence and the other from the United States – will work independently and in isolation. Two other laboratories, one in Rome and the other in Mexico, will also support the study, while the team will also have timely contact with a fifth center specialized in genetic identification, so that when all have completed their work, they will collate the data obtained by each one of them. Lorente admits that: “It is not certain that we can obtain DNA from all bones in sufficient quality and quantity to be able to reach a conclusion. What we are not going to do is force the circumstances to prevent this from leading us to a wrong conclusion and some time later someone can say that what was done in Granada was badly done ”. Even so, the director of the scientific team considers the study to be “historic”, whatever the final result.
Regis Francisco López, director of Story Producciones, indicated that they will witness the entire process and transmit the investigation with the greatest reliability and objectivity. In the same vein, Andrés Luque, executive producer of the TVE Culture channel, spoke, underlining that the interest of public opinion in science is growing. For the rector of the University of Granada, Pilar Aranda, the method used to carry out this study, whose estimated budget is 30,000 euros ($ 36,000), highlights “the rigor that should govern all interdisciplinary research.”