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| Royal graves at the 'Princely Church' in Curtea de Arge?, Romania [Credit: Diana75/Virtual tourist] |
He added that the researchers’ authorization does not allow them to sample DNA, but only to carry out an archaeological dig.
Researchers started the DNA sampling project last week, at Curtea de Arges, a town which holds a 700-year-old tomb of one of the first kings of Wallachia, the old name for part of southern Romania.
They wanted to settle the controversy over the prince’s origin, as some historians maintain that he was of Asian Turkic descent.
That would contradict the official line, which insists that modern Romanians have Latin or Romance origins.
“The project has only scientific purposes. We want to find out only the truth and are not interested whether the old kings had or had not an Asiatic origin,” Alexandru Simion, a researcher at the Romanian Academy, said.
Researchers from various scientific institutions in Romania attended the disinterment at Curtea de Arges and took different samples, which were supposed to be analyzed in universities in Romania and abroad.
Analysts have scorned the minister’s decision. “Why aren't we allowed to exhume the true story? Because all we have left is our national pride… with which we justify our current mistakes," Lucian Mandruta from Gandul daily newspaper, said.
"We don't want to live without the glamorous, falsified version of history, as it eases our consciences after every catastrophe we endure,” he added.
Author: Marian Chiriac | Source: Balkan Insight [July 04, 2012]