New evidence of Norse connections in Kyiv

Walrus ivory carving from Norway

My speculation about the connections between Dublin and Kyiv has been confirmed by the evidence of trade between Norsemen in Greenland and Dublin and Kyiv. A researcher, archaeologist Natalia Khamaiko, digging on a site along the Dnipro found a treasure trove of items belonging to the Viking era of Kyivan Rus. Among those items was a sample of walrus ivory which provided DNA evidence that the ivory originated in Greenland. It happens to be that of a distinct population of walrus that exists only in Greenland and Arctic Canada. So they were trading and travelling between continents - a 4000 km trade route. Amazing!

The study was written up in Science magazine by Andrew Curry. It's a small world and small wonder I feel at home in Ireland. 

The Irish came from Ukraine

I have always felt that there was an alignment of the Irish and Ukrainian cultures. My mother noticed that both liked potatoes, singing, and spirits. But since living here, I have noticed many parallels that made me wonder about the anthropological connections. Perhaps I noticed these connections because I studied anthropology as a minor in University. Perhaps, as a scientist, I am just observant and happen to have a unique combination of perspectives to draw on. As a Ukrainian American Irishwoman, I was uniquely positioned to notice the anciently-rooted similarities rather than the modern day differences.