Don't forget the Japanese.
Posted on 08/13/2009 6:27:39 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Did Chinese sailors really discover America before Columbus? A new exhibition sets the scene, presenting new evidence that lends support to the assumptions made in "1421: The Year China Discovered America" by Gavin Menzies.
"1421: The Year China Sailed the World," in Singapore in a special tent near the Esplanade (until Sept. 11), is primarily a celebration of Admiral Zheng He's seven maritime expeditions between 1405 and 1423. With a fleet of 317 ships and 28,000 men, Zheng He is generally acknowledged as one of the great naval explorers, but how far he actually went remains a matter of dispute.
With original artifacts, videos and interactive exhibits, "1421" aims to take visitors through Zheng He's life story, setting the historical and economic context of his voyages. Against this factual background, Menzies's theories are presented, along with new evidence, mainly maps, backing his claims.
The exhibition starts in Hunnan (China) in 1382, with a narrative space giving some background on Zheng He's youth. Zheng, a Chinese Muslim, was captured as a child in wartime by the Ming army and made a eunuch to serve at court. He became a scholar and a trusted adviser to the third Ming emperor, Zhu Di, who sent him on a mission to "proceed all the way to the ends of the earth to collect tribute from the barbarians beyond the seas."
When the giant fleet returned in 1423, however, the emperor had fallen. With that change of leadership, China began a policy of isolationism that would last hundreds of years. The large ships were left to rot at their moorings, and most of the records of the great journeys were destroyed (though some argue the records still exist).
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
See also here :
http://www.asiawind.com/hakka/zheng_he.htm
Background on Zheng He:
http://www.time.com/time/asia/features/journey2001/intro.html
http://www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/millennium/m3/kristof.html
http://www.huaren.org/diaspora/background/doc/kristof.html
http://www.china2thou.com/9805p7.htm
http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/china.htm
My understanding was that the Americas were discovered by black Egyptians who crossed the Atlantic in flying machines.
Naturally, all of this knowledge has been suppressed by the White Man(TM).
Its true! Do a dig into any mid-west “ski” hill and you will find artefacts from China galore...
I’d argue that the Native Americans had ‘em all beat. ;-) (I’m just saying.)
Don't forget the Japanese.
Vikings found America hundreds of years before and they had settlements in America..
No way!
The Irish got here before anyone. St. Brendan the Navigator discovered America!
http://www.aoh61.com/history/brendan.htm
When the Vikings landed the first thing they found was a Portuguese restaurant selling Bacula.
Since “Native American” has replaced “Indian,” why do we still have a state called Indiana? Why hasn’t it been renamed Nativeamericana?
The honor goes to those who can hold it against all future comers.
I have Menzies’ book, but I haven’t read it yet. I believe several groups tromped around North America at different times. I guess the zeitgiest wasn’t right for the earlier visitors/settlers (Am.Indians being the exception).
Hence, the name Indian~a was applied.
Has nothing to do with the Indians ~ just the lay of the land and the education of the surveyors.
Every race “discovered” America before Columbus. Of course none of them had the sense to realize what an incredible source of wealth their discovery was...and they didn’t set up any permanent settlements...but okay they were here first.
Columbus and Co. stuck around...and that’s all that counts.
I heard it was some dude named Lehi.
Every race “discovered” America before Columbus. Of course none of them had the sense to realize what an incredible source of wealth their discovery was...and they didn’t set up any permanent settlements...but okay they were here first.
Columbus and Co. stuck around...and that’s all that counts.
Chinese or others may have got here before the Spanish but they never did anything with their findings. It was the Spanish who brought European Civilization, and the word of Christ to the New World. They showed the Natives there was a better way to worship than cutting people’s hearts out and eating them.
This is the first time I ever heard of Indiana being named for India--I had always connected it with American Indians.
On the other hand, there's this deal involving the cocaine delivered to the Egyptians in the 1800 BC period. That's during or just before another enigmatic "Dark Age".
The 1300s seem to be a major focus for most everything involving the Mississippi Valley. The Great Mound at Cahokia was started then ~ and there's some sort of stone or stellae at the bottom smack dead center.
Lots of people want to dig down to it to see if it's got something to read ~ like Huang Chi Lu Was Here.
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