Article Review: "What became of medieval Sicily’s Arabs? Genetic Demographic Evidence" by Louis Mendola

 

A street mural from Mazara, one of the original landing points of Muslims from Tunisia. Photo by blog author.

Summary: 
This short research article seeks to answer concisely what happened to the Arabs from the Muslim era of Sicily with genetic evidence, and based on previous research by the author himself, Louis Mendola. The research shows that genetic testing both reinforces the recorded historical facts and fills in some of the question marks. It is known and recorded that the final stand by Sicilian Muslims against the rule of the Normans and the land ownership of the Catholic Church was in the Iato area of West Sicily and resulted in Frederick II deporting an estimated 20,000 Muslims to Lucera in what today is Southern Italy. What the DNA evidence adds and that the historical record suggest is that many more Muslims integrated into Latin Sicily. Effectively, the Arab lineage never left, and continues to be part of the genetic heritage of almost all present-day Sicilians (and by extension, those in the Sicilian diaspora).

Key Quotes, Information, or Chapter:

• “By 1250, there were no Byzantine dioceses in Sicily; only a few Orthodox monasteries remained. Following a series of revolts, a few thousand Muslim Arabs were deported to Lucera in Apulia, while thousands more converted to Catholicism. By 1250, mosques were a rare sight.”

• “The genetic record revealed by DNA haplotyping confirms what historians have always known about the diversity of Sicily’s historic populations.”

• “Sicily’s population, like its culture, has been essentially endogamous since around 1300.”

• “In the case of Sicily, it has validated recorded history rather than challenged it.”

• “In its essence, the genetic evidence suggests that the greater part of Sicily’s Arabs did not simply leave the island (for Tunisia or other Fatimid lands), nor were they deported during the reign of Frederick II. Rather, such evidence as exists implies that the great majority assimilated with the Latin population, adopted Christianity and remained here in Sicily, in much the same manner as the Greek-speakers were Latinized.”

Map from What became of medieval Sicily’s Arabs? Genetic Demographic Evidence © 2016 Louis Mendola

Reflections of il Moro: 
The final quote says it all, “the great majority [of Arabs] assimilated with the Latin population, adopted Christianity and remained here in Sicily.” It is not just the DNA evidence either. It is well documented in the place names, surnames, language, food, art, and culture of Sicily. In my own family, we have the DNA evidence, but also a last name derived from Arabic, and come from a part of Sicily that historically had a large number of Arabs. Part of what Mendola tries to get at is that it is the layers of historical evidence that speak to the enduring presence. Last names alone were not necessarily indicators of DNA heritage (despite what some online sites claim), region alone is not an indicator, DNA alone is only part of the story, having Arab food in culinary tradition is not the full story - it is all of these things together that have been woven through a culture that has been largely “endogamous” (i.e. genetically unchanging) for the last 700+ years that speak to our Arab heritage.

Full article by Louis Mendola

Book Review of "Where Three Worlds Met" by Sarah Davis-Secord

 

Summary: 
Sarah Davis-Secord uses a variety of sources, including legal court records, ship records, business records, and testimonies of the life of Christian saints to paint a picture of the time when Sicily was ruled via Byzantine Constantinople, the time of Muslim rule through Ifriqiya, and the time or Normans coming into power. The "three worlds" are Christians (the Byzantines, and then the Normans), Muslims (Arabs and Berbers via Ifriqiya/Tunisia), and Jewish people, who were heavily involved in trade throughout the Mediterranean. "Where Three Worlds Met," is incredibly well researched. Davis-Secord is clear when there is strong evidence and when there is limited evidence. She has painstakingly documented her sources, and is clear on her claims.

Key Quote, Information, or Chapter: 
There is so much detailed information in this book! Here are a few parts that stuck out to me:
- Sicilian-Arab coins, the quarter dinars, came to be used throughout the Mediterranean, and were replicated in Salerno. Davis-Secord suggests that this shows trade networks throughout the peninsula at a time when there were established networks with Ifriqiya, Cairo, and al-Andalus.
- When Normans started to come into Sicily, many Muslims stayed, many converted, and some also left. Some of those that left retained the nisba of "al-Siqilli" or "The Sicilian" indicated a long lineage of North Africans whose families were based in Sicily or came from Sicily.
- Although some of those of North African heritage fled Sicily, others were still immigrating to the island, as were some Jews because Tunisia was suffering from drought and food shortages.
- Ultimately, despite being a place of nexus, Sicily's centeredness gave way to Northern Italian merchant control, especially after Norman rule was established.
- The trade and exchange between these three worlds was extensive, there was constant cultural, economics, and political change over time. The population of the island increased significantly under Muslim rule, while still maintaining a strong Jewish population, and a continued Greek-Christian population.
- This really only scratches the surface of some of the later chapters, there is much more in the book!

Reflections of il Moro: 
This books gave me stronger insights into the development of Sicily moving from part of the the Greek East, ruled by Constantinople, and centered in Sircusa, to being a part of North Africa, with power and culture shifting toward Palermo, and then shifting toward Latin Europe with rule of the Normans, who were aligned (mostly) with the Pope. When reading of this history, you can see that the people of Sicily today are the decedents of Eastern peoples from Greece/Constantinople/Syria, and the decedents of Arabs and Berbers, with Arabic-speaking Jewish people in the mix as well. It is hard to believe that Sicily took such a strong swing toward Latin Christianity. The de-centralization of Sicily is also clear, as it fell into less importance, and started a trend of backwards progress. This continues later in history as a Spanish colony, and more recently as part of the Italian republic. This is likely why the Normans are so revered on the island (as is the history of the Muslims and Byzantines). The Normans were in many ways the last period of Sicilians prosperity, and the culmination of these three worlds. It is a shame that so much was lost to history. As the Sicilian-Arab folk character, Giufa, would say, "Alas!"