Our first traceable ancestor in this country was a man named Domingo Maderas. As you will read below, the spelling of our surname may have varied, but Maderas was the spelling found in the first mention in historical records. We suspect Domingo was born about 1620-30 in Spain or the Spanish Netherlands. Earlier researchers suspected he came from Portugal, specifically the Island of Madeira because of the spelling similarity. This will be discussed later. Although we believe we know why Domingo came to America, exactly how and the exact year are not known for certain at this time. With current research and DNA testing we are beginning to narrow down his story.

Our Genetics and DNA Testing

    DNA testing has revealed that Domingo was Celtiberian. (Celtic people of the Iberian Peninsula) Genetically our Haplogroup is R1b1b2a1b. In shorthand we are R-L21.  In long hand we are: L21+ M269+ P312+ M153- M222- M37- M65- P66- SRY2627- U106- U152-. A separate discussion on DNA will be posted in the future.

    What this means in English is that we have tested positive for M269, P312 and L21, but have tested negative for all subclades below P312.   It is too early to tell right now what being L21+ means to our genetic tree as very few have tested for it.  L21 is a new discovery, and we were tested only two months into the process and it may take a few years to know exactly what L21 means.  The testing pool is imbalanced at this point and the majority of people tested are of Scottish or Irish descent.  Therefore, the majority of L21 represents Irish and Scottish.  But as more people are tested, I feel we will see more people of British and Spanish test positive.  It is no surprise that the majority of people we are matching in this new test are around the Bay of Biscay.

The Celtiberians were a Celtic people of Hallstatt culture living in the Iberian Peninsula, chiefly in what is now north central Spain, before and during the Roman Empire. The group originated when Celts migrated from Gaul (now France) and integrated with the local Pre-Indo-European populations of Iberia (probably the Iberian people in this zone of the Peninsula).  They settled in Northwestern Spain around present-day Galicia.  The name Galicia comes from the Latin name Gallaecia, associated with the name of the ancient Celtic tribe that resided above the Douro River, the Gallaeci or Callaeci in Latin, and Kallaikoi in Greek (these tribes were mentioned by Herodotus).  

The earliest Celtic presence in Iberia was that of the southeastern Almería Culture (Southern Spain) of the Bronze Age; in the tenth century BCE, a fresh wave of Celts migrated into the Iberian Peninsula and penetrated as far as Cadiz (SW Spain near the Strait of Gibralter), bringing aspects of Hallstatt culture (fifth century BCE) with them and adopting much of the culture they found. This basal Indo-European culture was of seasonally transhumant cattle-raising pastoralists protected by a warrior elite, similar to those in other areas of Atlantic Europe, centered in the hill-forts, locally termed castros, that controlled small grazing territories. These settlements of circular huts survived until Roman times across the north of Iberia, from Northern Portugal, Asturias and Galicia to the Basque Country.

Celtic presence in Iberia likely dates to as early as the sixth century BCE, when the castros (Hill fort) evinced a new permanence with stone walls and protective ditches. Almagro-Gorbea and Lorrio recognize the distinguishing iron tools and extended family social structure of developed Celtiberian culture as evolving from the archaic castro culture which they consider “proto-Celtic”.

The Celtics settled around the Bay of Biscay, then by 200 BC Celtic migration had spread northward into Britain, Ireland and Scotland.   Celtic influence had come to dominate Ireland by this time.  
(Wikipedia)

Therefore, we share a common ancestry, traditions and blood with most of Europe.  Many localities in present day Galicia still have Celtic names.  The language spoken in Galicia is a mixture of Portuguese and Galician. Some experts feel that Portuguese was a branch off of ancient Galician language.  

So, we know so far that we traveled to Spain from the area of Austria.  Keep in mind that these areas were not called Spain or Austria at those times.  Our ancestors were pioneers discovering and settling new lands.

“Ancient Austrians” can be found as “Norische Kelten” “Norean Celtics” Mainland Austria, the Alpine region and South of River Danube was Celtic Tribal land. North of the Danube there was a mixed population of Celtic Slawic and Germans tribes. The Tribe of Boii living between Danube and Leitha Rivers Southeast of Vienna was the most eastern living Tribe in Noricum. The Celtic Population in Ancient Noricum worshipped a mother-goddess called “Noreia” where they got their name from. After the downfall of the Roman Limes German Tribes crossed the Danube and settled in modern Lower Austria and Pannonia mixing up with the Native Celtic tribes. In the early Middle Ages during the Migration Period the Inhabitants in the non-Alpine Region mixed more and more for history science the situation is very complex to show who was where at what time.

Hallstatt, Upper Austria is a village in the Salzkammergut, a region in Austria. It is located near the Hallstätter Sea (a lake). The name Hall is most probably from the old Celtic name for salt, the salt mines near the village being an important factor. Salt was a valuable resource, so the region was historically very wealthy. The world’s first known salt mine is located above downtown Hallstatt.

The village also gave its name to the early Iron Age Hallstatt culture and is a World Heritage Site for Cultural Heritage. Hallstatt is a popular tourist attraction owing to its small-town appeal and can be toured on foot in ten minutes.

(Wikipedia)


The image above shows the likely path that our ancestors took from Hallstatt Austria, to Almeria, Spain, Westward to Caciz then northward along the Portugal coast to Northwestern Spain.


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