re:Beethoven's ethnic background

From: Johan77 (jkhali1_at_gl.umbc-dot-edu.no-spam.invalid)
Date: 11/21/04 

Date: 21 Nov 2004 13:28:08 -0600

http://www.edwardwillett.com/Columns/beethoven.htm

> Future study of Beethoven's DNA may also answer historical
questions about Beethoven's ethnicity; as a young man, Beethoven was
sometimes called "the Moor" because of his dark skin, and some
historians wonder if he had some African blood. His hair didn't show
any of the wrinkles or bends typical of people of African descent,
but the jury's still out on that question.

It is not difficult to conclude just from looking at the hair that it
is not a black man's hair. Even a child could see that.

But scientists are coy about drawing the obvious conclusion.

The observation that the hair "didn't show any of the
wrinkles or bends typical of people of African
descent" sounds almost apologetic, when followed by
the coy disclaimer[i:e86174819f]"jury's still out on that
question"[/i:e86174819f].

The reasons for this coyness are not too hard to figure
out.

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