Are Today's Macedonians Successors of Alexander the Great?

MIA, October 28, 2002

An expert team led by Mirko Spiroski, PhD, from the Institute of Immunobiology and Human Genetics at the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje will take samples from persons living in the villages around Vardarski Rid.

This is part of a project by British researcher Matthew Lemming, who will try to determine scientifically whether today's Macedonians are successors of Alexander the Great.

"Lemming wants to compare the Y-chromosome indicators of people believed to be successors of Alexander's army in Afghanistan and of today's Macedonians with Phillip's vertebra discovered in Pela," Spiroski told MIA.

Therefore, samples are being taken from men living in "typical places."

"In this case, the typical places are in the southern part of Macedonia, around Ohrid and Vevcani, the villages around Vardarski Rid, where the excavations are most similar to those in Pela as well as the three isolates in Radovo, Nova Maala and Strumica Maalo, where the so-called Bezanci live. It is believed that Bezanci have escaped from Edessa (Voden) and Kastoria (Kostur) into Macedonia. Practically the entire research is located in southern Macedonia, i.e., those parts that are closer to Aegean Macedonia," Spiroski said.

At least 30 samples should be taken from each of these places.

The Immunobiology and Human Genetics Institute has thousand of samples from all over Macedonia, "but the samples from the selected regions are more interesting as they come from closed areas, where the local residents mingled among each others."

Spiroski thinks that the work will be completed in three days, but it can be prolonged only if samples should be taken from persons who originate from Edessa (Voden) and are living in Skopje nowadays.

"Lemming is an associate of London Royal College of Anthropology, which is a very important institution and from a genetics aspect this research can be very useful for finding out more information about the past," Spiroski said.

Although the Genetics Research Institute within the Macedonian Academy for Science and Art thinks that a license is necessary for conducting the research, Spiroski believes that it would not be necessary as long as the research is carried out in cooperation with any Macedonian institution, it is transparent and it is in compliance with international regulations.

The Immunobiology Institute is involved in Lemming's research because a similar examination has already been carried out for the domestic population.

The persons that donate genetic material must be fully informed about the procedure and should confirm their willingness to participate.

The results cannot be destroyed, but the personal data can be erased and then they can be treated as anonymous.

Lemming takes samples from the oral cavity (i.e., oral cavity smear and isolates DNA from the cells), in the mean time the Immunobiology Institute, with prior consent of the examined person, deposits the genetic material in the Macedonian Bank for Human DNA.

"In that way, in the future we can compare the results, repeat the examination or even make other examinations on the same persons," Spiroski stressed.

According to Spiroski, this is an exceptionally significant project, regardless of the results, as it is the first time indicators of the Y-chromosome are compared with a population that it is believed has a similar origin with the ancient Macedonians and indirectly it can be concluded whether these two populations are related.

Spiroski suggests that the Macedonian public should be aware of the necessity of this research, as the results are significant both for medicine and the historical past.

We are open to cooperation with the international institutions, such as London's Royal College of Anthropology and we collect genetic material that can be used for various examinations. We follow the regulations and provide objective results as they can always be checked in the future, because the samples can be used in the next 20 to 50 years, Spiroski said.

According to him, this research is important, as the objective conclusions should replace the political fanaticism, which is present among certain circles in Macedonia, but also from a scientific aspect to reveal what was the past of the Macedonians.

This investigation is not sufficient, "but every beginning is very important, because it opens the doors for other examinations," Spiroski said.

After the samples are taken, Lemming and the Immunobiology Institute will exchange photocopies from their full documentation.

The results from the London College will be submitted to the Skopje Institute.

"It is unreasonable to do the same examination, because the genetic material will give the same results. But we can always do a reexamination with the stored samples. For instance, if certain questions arise on this issue between Macedonia and Greece, then the examination can be repeated in an independent laboratory," Spiroski said.

Speaking of the future cooperation, Spiroski said that he would visit Afghanistan along with Lemming in December or January.

"BBC intends to make a program about the research, and in the future we can also do our own independent research," Spiroski said, emphasizing that it is very important for Macedonia to be part of this international project.

See related article: HLA Genes in Macedonians