Marriane and Maciamo,
As an ethnic Albanian, I certainly am interested in revealing more about the ancient origins of Albanians and ancient peoples and cultures ( all of them) but I feel a need to say that I certainly do not share the presentation style of the user called RealIllyrian ( e.g. addressing anyone with words like: " you really have no idea what ancient history really is do you?
You shouldn't write things you have no idea..." and the like is something I find really inappropriate for any mature conversation, nor do I uphold some of his views on connection between Albanian and some ancient cultures (e.g. the connection between Pellasgians, Trojans and Albanians needs some more scientific evidence). Luckily, no seriously educated or simply sober Albanian would uphold the presentation style and some historical vies presented by our learned colleague called Real Illyrian, with all due respect I have for him ( or anyone else here as a person).
Now, going back to my original inquiry- revealing more about the connection between modern Albanians and ancient peoples (including Illyrians, Trhacians etc.).
1. Generally, there are a few theories regarding the origin of Albanians, including the two that address their conection with ancient Illyrians, Thracians and /or Daco-Mysians.
The Illyrian connection is supported by ancient Greek and Roman sources that locate Illyrians in the territory of modern day Albanian, with their capital at modern day Shkodra ( ancient Scodra). Some other pro-Illyrian argument include the fact that there is no arrival of Albanians into Albania recorded anywhere in historical sources, certain decorative concentric circles and zig-zag patterns found in both Illyrian remains and traditional Albanian clothing, certain illyrian vocabulary that happens to math Albanian words (Illyrian-Albanian: Andizetes-Andja, Bardhylis-Bardhyl, Bindo-Bind,Daesitiates-Dash, Delmatae-Delme, Hyllus-Hyll, Rinos-Re, Sika-thika, Teutana-tetane, Thanae-Zana, Vendo-Vend, etc.) but onomastics and ethnolinguistics in this area certainl need to be studied in much more detail and cautiously. The counter-Illyrian arguments inlcude the proposal of some linguists that Illyrian language was Centum, while Albanian is Satem (although athors like Noel Malcolm asserts that we actually do not know for certain if Illyrian was Centum, and if Messapic was Illylrian language at all).
The more recent counter-Illyrian argument is found in the DNA results, where it is supposed that the Illyrians were mainly R1a and I2a1b, while majority of Albanians are E1b1b/E-V13, just like some Pelasgians and Etruscans (as indicated in your post above). However, as no ethnicity is "pure", so to speak, nor has it ever been ( as haplogroups came before any ethnicites or nations were created), it is likely that even these ancient peoples we are taling about ( Illyrians, Thracians, Dacians etc) were a certain haplogourp mixture.
In that sense I have several questions:
1. How did we arrive at the conclusion that anciant Illyrians were mainly R1a and I2a1b? (what was the sample and the variables, not only for Illyrians for these haplogroup results)?
2. Is it possible that Ilylrians too had some E1b1b/E-V13, and to what extent?
3.Do the haplotype results suggest that Albanians existed in the Balkans at the same time as Illyrians ( or even before the Illrians were formed), what ancient people were they, and could they have mixed to some extent with Illyrians?
4. If we refute the pro-Illyrian tehory of the origin of Albanians, ad take the Thracian or Daco-Mysian one insted, we know that the Daco-Mysian territory corresponds to a large extend with modern Romania and the Vlach people in general. However, the controversy here is that while the Daco-Mysian proponents of Albanian oprigin see Vlachs as the ancestors of modern Albanians, the DNA shows that the Vlachs have dominantly the I2a1b haplotype, not the E-V13, like the majority of Albanians? What is the way to come around this little puzzle?
Best Regards
SoberBalkanite