Posted on 03/08/2005 12:42:07 PM PST by Destro
Hmmmmmm.....Learn somethin new every day....
Good point.
You know this will play heavily into current Chinese politics. Zheng He has become one of symbolic centerpieces of resurgent Chinese nationalism. I heard China has made a grand documentary detailing his voyage.
A kind of a role model for modern China to emulate.
It is not far-fetched that some Chinese would begin to talk about N. America as renegade provinces to be rejoined to the motherland.
Cool! Now everyone can quit blaming Rich Whiteman for everything wrong???/sarc
Most likely Canada, which has already been invaded via immigration--just another rogue province!
I must be wierd, 'cause I am always looking for landforms out of place...
You should watch those guys horse-trade allready! (8^D
I am sure the indigeouus residents were amused at all the fuss....
I've read the book, and found it thoroughly convincing. Whether or not you agree with the theory, it is a fascinating read and I highly recommend it.
OK...who ordered the General Tsao's take out?
1. A Chinese wooden vessel over 300 ft long? In the year 1420 no less?! That means that ancient Chinese shipwrights learned to build vessels that wouldn't "hog", or bend at the keel, under their own weight. The USS Constitution was only 204 ft long and she took advantage of a special rib construction techniques. Not saying that the Chinese couldn't have built large ships, but strength of materials is a kind of universal problem.
2. The following quote is a sloppy statement & very unscientific: "It needs radiocarbon dating but if it is over 700 years old it would have to be Chinese,“ he said. Connelly said the remains of a 600-year-old ship were found several months ago near Nanjing." If this is an indication of the rigor with which this guy tests his scientific theories, I think we need to be even more skeptical about his claims because he sure isn't!
if this is so true, where are the native legends and stories about the strangers who arrived in their huge seea houses and built this vast place? Methinks that the natives would have been impressed enough to at least discuss it before it became politifcally correct to deify the chinese.
Maybe we ought to explore the Atlantic coast of this hemisphere sometime.
I'm not really skeptical about the 300 ft junk. The junk was the most advanced sailing ship of the time until at least the the 18th century.
I am skeptical about the Chinese clearing the Horn or the Straights of Magellan. Anywhere in the Pacific, maybe, but not the Atlantic.
Besides, how could the history's of the voyages miss the Aztecs, Incas and Mayans?
Want more links?
Are you kidding me? So many Indian folk lore touches on such accounts for both Chinese - African and even European contacts.
I will say this - technically this Chinese fleet - at a time when China was the undisputed technological giant of its time - could have made such a voyage.
If no records exist it is because of the massive destruction of records of the world outside of China after the voyage was made.
China invented book burnings centuries before - "cultural revolution" like events are not new to China.
So of all the theories of pre Columbian contacts with America - the Chinese contacts are the most believable.
At the collapse (defeat) of the Shang Dynasty (1200BC), it is written, that 250,000 refugees 'took to the sea.'
Not exactly from Indian folk lore.
Well, I am. A wooden keel supports the weight of the entire ship & it's contents. The longer you make a ship, the greater the bending moment on the keel. Hit rough seas (the Pacific is famous for that) and you are toast. There is a mathematical limit as to how long you can make a wooden ship. 300 ft is beyond that limit. You could build one, but I wouldn't give you 2 cents for its survivability.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.