Italy ? Genetic studies of Italians in Tuscany show that their forefathers, the ancient Etruscans, moved to Italy from what is now Turkey – an origin that many archaeologists have dismissed as unlikely.

The Etruscans dominated Italy and the Mediterranean area from about 1200 B.C. until assimilated into the Roman Republic around 200 B.C. They provided many of the cultural underpinnings of Roman society. They were skilled metallurgists and masterful seafarers, but their origin has been a source of dispute for at least 2,500 years.

Greek historian Herodotus claimed they originated in Turkey, then called Lydia, but subsequent historians and modern archaeologists have dismissed his claim.

A new study presented Sunday by geneticist Alberto Piazza of the University of Turin at the European Society of Human Genetics in Nice, France, however, is the third this year, and the strongest to date, linking Etruscans to Turkey.

“We think that our research provides convincing proof that Herodotus was right,” Piazza said.

The prevailing view is that the Etruscans evolved from the Villanovan culture in central Italy.