Long cited by authorities as his final resting place, there had been rival claims \u2013 but now arguments over the nationality of 15th-century explorer are also set to be laid to rest.<\/p>\n
A divisive figure, Columbus led Spanish-funded expeditions from the 1490s onward, opening the way for the European conquest of the Americas.<\/p>\n
Many historians have questioned the traditional theory that Columbus came from Genoa, Italy.<\/p>\n
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Other theories range from him being a Spanish Jew, a Greek, Basque or Portuguese.<\/p>\n
Researchers, led by forensic expert Miguel Lorente, have been testing tiny samples of remains buried in the cathedral, comparing them with those of his known relatives and descendants.<\/p>\n
The findings are due to be announced in a documentary titled Columbus DNA: The True Origin on Spain\u2019s national broadcaster TVE on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Findings \u2018almost absolutely reliable\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\nBriefing reporters on the research on Thursday, Lorente did not reveal the conclusions, but said they had confirmed previous theories that the remains in Seville belonged to Columbus.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday it has been possible to verify it with new technologies, so that the previous partial theory that the remains of Seville belong to Christopher Columbus has been definitively confirmed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said research on Columbus\u2019s nationality had been complicated by various factors including the large amount of data, but said \u201cthe outcome is almost absolutely reliable\u201d.<\/p>\n
A voyager in life, Columbus was also a voyager in death. He died in Valladolid, Spain, in 1506, but wished to be buried on the island of Hispaniola that is today shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti.<\/p>\n
His remains were taken there in 1542, then moved to Cuba in 1795 and then \u2013 it had been long thought in Spain \u2013 to Seville in 1898.<\/p>\n
However, it\u2019s also possible that some of Columbus\u2019s remains still rest in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n
In 1877, workers found a lead casket buried behind the altar in a cathedral in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, containing a collection of bone fragments that the country says belong to Columbus.<\/p>\n
Lorente said both claims could be true as both sets of bones were incomplete.<\/p>\n
In recent years there has been pushback to Columbus Day celebrations, which take place on 12 October, marking his arrival in the Americas.<\/p>\n
Nick Tilsen, president of the NDN Collective, an indigenous-led advocacy group, has said for the US to \u201ccelebrate that history is absolutely disrespectful\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cColumbus was a lost explorer who stumbled into this part of the world and brought famine, colonisation, the deaths of millions of indigenous peoples,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
This post appeared first on sky.com<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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