Human Genome Analysis: My Genetics (Draft 1)

My genetic ancestry is a mixed bag: my father's side, as far as I know, is Cypriot through and through, although the island’s long history of being invaded and conquered by anyone and everyone means that “Cypriot” has little genetic meaning. Cyprus history dates back to first being settled in around 10 000 BC. During the Bronze Age there were two waves of Greek settlement before the island was ruled first by Assyria, then briefly by Egypt, and then by Persia. It was then part of the Byzantine Empire until the Crusades, when it was captured and sold to the Republic of Venice before being conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1571. In 1878 Cyprus was leased to the British Empire, and then invaded by Turkey in 1974. Because of the island’s history, the genetic origins of its population are complex and varied, so although I am Cypriot I do not the exact genetic origins of that side of my family. On my mother’s side my grandfather was Palestinian and my grandmother was American-born to parents of German descent who had Dutch origins further down the line.