British Museum - The lasting legacy of Alexander the Great in Afghanistan - Historum

Thessalonian · August 22nd, 2011, 04:03 AM

British Museum - The lasting legacy of Alexander the Great in Afghanistan - YouTube

I thought this would be interesting...

Jeffersonian Republic · August 22nd, 2011, 07:24 PM

Nice video. The Bactrian and Indo-Greek civilizations have always been very interesting to me. There's by no means a wealth of information about them (as compared to other Hellenistic empires of the period), so anything I can get, I take.

Thessalonian · August 23rd, 2011, 01:15 AM

Thanks for the comment!

Shaheen · August 23rd, 2011, 08:25 AM

BBC - In the footsteps of Alexander (The Kalash) 23 - YouTube

The Kalash, a pagan people claim they are descendents of Alexanders army. Though coloured eyes/hair is not rare at all in N. Pakistan they claim it is a sign of their ancestry.

This has become an iconic image of the Kalash though most, especially the men are darker than this and most have dark hair and eyes.

prr · August 23rd, 2011, 08:32 AM

Matthew Leeming wanted to go to Afghanistan a few years back b/c he wanted to take DNA samples of these folks. He said that Alexander settled some Macedonian veterans in that region. I haven't seen any results of his expedition, though, and this was several years ago.

Shaheen · August 23rd, 2011, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prr

Matthew Leeming wanted to go to Afghanistan a few years back b/c he wanted to take DNA samples of these folks. He said that Alexander settled some Macedonian veterans in that region. I haven't seen any results of his expedition, though, and this was several years ago.

The Nuristanis mentioned here are the same people as the Kalash though the Nuristanis were forced to convert to Islam in the past few centuries. Thankfully the Kalash havent been subject to the same fate.

Thessalonian · August 23rd, 2011, 09:33 AM

I am still not sure if the Kalash are really descendants of Macedonians.

Shaheen · August 23rd, 2011, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thessalonian

I am still not sure if the Kalash are really descendants of Macedonians.

Personally i doubt it as well, i think DNA tests have shown this as well. But regarding Greek influence, well they do worship Dionysus, whether they did this before Alexander or after him i dont know.

**Rosi** · August 23rd, 2011, 10:04 AM

There are certain madcaps in India as well (Ladakh) that claim strange things. Check this out:

Himalayan Trails: Alexander the Great and Ladakh...

Alexander’s lost army

As regards the blond hair found in certain populations in Asia, there is a rather prosaic explanation for it. Possibly even controversial. Have you noticed how all these people who have no business having light hair are usually poor? You find such people not just in Afghanistan but also in India and Mongolia (that I know of. I'm sure one can find them anywhere on this planet). There are plenty of beggar girls in India that have blonde hair, which doesn't make any sense. They certainly don't have the money to colour their hair or buy wigs or buy coloured lenses. I once asked a doctor about this and she said that chronic malnutrition sometimes leads to dark hair turning yellow, orange or even red in certain cases. It doesn't happen with everyone, of course. But it is known to happen and usually begins around ages 1-2.

I can't find any corroboration of this online so can't give any sources, but I'd take that explanation over a European connection any day.

This is all I could find:

Quote:

Malnutrition is also known to cause hair to become lighter, thinner, and more brittle. Dark hair may turn reddish or blondish due to the decreased production of melanin. The condition is reversible with proper nutrition.

Human hair color - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Quote:

Red hair of pathological origin

Most red hair is caused by the MC1R gene and is non-pathological. However, in rare cases red hair can be associated with disease or genetic disorder:
In cases of severe malnutrition, normally dark human hair may turn red or blonde. The condition, part of a syndrome known as kwashiorkor, is a sign of critical starvation caused chiefly by protein deficiency, and is common during periods of famine.

Red_hair

I'm not saying this is the only explanation but I'd take this over a conspiracy theory any day.

**Earl_of_Rochester** · August 23rd, 2011, 10:15 AM

Quote:

The Kalash, a pagan people claim they are descendents of Alexanders army. Though coloured eyes/hair is not rare at all in N. Pakistan they claim it is a sign of their ancestry.

This has become an iconic image of the Kalash though most, especially the men are darker than this and most have dark hair and eyes.

Wow, she could easily be European, everyone's seen the green eyed girl but I didn't know people like this lived in Afghanistan/Pakistan.

EoR