Did Ancient Polynesians Visit California? Maybe So

SF Gate ^ | 6-20-2005 | Keay Davidson

[blam]

Scientists are taking a new look at an old and controversial idea: that ancient Polynesians sailed to Southern California a millennium before Christopher Columbus landed on the East Coast. Key new evidence comes from two directions. The first involves revised carbon-dating of an ancient ceremonial headdress used by Southern California's Chumash Indians. The second involves research by two California scientists who suggest that a Chumash word for "sewn-plank canoe" is derived from a Polynesian word for the wood used to construct the same boat.

[G Larry]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/first/kennewick.html

Go argue w these guys.

[ml/nj]

The Polynesian islanders were among the first people to navigate the oceans, and they used the stars to guide them. The sun marked their day, but very strict records of stars were kept in order to guide them during the night; this practice started before the dawn of the Christian era -- over 2000 years ago.

I took a look at Ziegler's Hawaiian Natural History, Ecology, and Evolution last night. Ziegler seems much less sure of all this than you do. He speculates that the Polynesians may have believed in a concept he calls "zenith stars" because they observed that one of the bright stars in the sky passed directy over their island, and set off using other bright stars to lead them to other islands.

This seems extremely specious to me. A "zenith star" merely marks a ring of latitude. But it does indicate to me how little is actually known about this history.

ML/NJ

[USF]

Where did the Olmecs come from?

Ahhh yes.. and "when" did they come.

As they waaaaay predate the 7th century cult of MohamMad they could not possibly be Muslamic. Not that the truth will make much difference to the mad muftis and those who need to believe their lies...

[blam]

"Where did the Olmecs come from?"

China?

The Olmec And The Shang

[Slicksadick]

You might find this program interesting...

http://www.pacificarchiving.com/pnsim/index.shtml

[blam]

Thanks.

I've seen programs where their technique of binded sticks are used for navigation. I didn't quite understand it but, I did see it, lol.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

So, only whites can sail to places far away? How tacky.

Actually, it would appear there is a bit of a theme lately that the "whites" were the last people to sail far away.

And I wouldn't get too excited about the Phoenicians. they were coastwise sailors just like everyone else in their day.

You want to be impressed with some offwhite sailors, be impressed with the North African corsairs who were raiding off the coast of Newfoundland in the early 1600s.

[Slicksadick]

Last comment on this, I find it interesting that "longitude navigation" when used due east from Hawaii, Takes one right to the western heart of Olmec mexico.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Blam.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

How do you know that Clock King is not related to African Pygmies?

[SunkenCiv]

The Phoenicians were Semites, so I guess it's a matter of opinion whether they were "white". Regardless, they sailed out of sight of land Their good buddies the Carians did also.

A bit later, the Greeks also went all over. The monsoon trade route to and from India has been known a very long time, and documented since the Ptolemaic dynasty (the Greek-Macedonian era in Egypt). Roman trade by sea with India is also documented, as is Chinese-Roman contact by sea.

Deepest Wreck
by Thomas Dettweiler,
Thomas Bethge,
and Brett Phaneuf
Archaeology

The discovery of a 2,300-year-old shipwreck between the classical trading centers of Rhodes and Alexandria adds to the corpus of evidence that is challenging the long-held assumption that ancient sailors lacked the navigational skills to sail large distances across open water, and were instead restricted to following the coastline during their voyages. Four other possibly ancient wrecks lie nearby.

[ElkGroveDan]

I thought that ancient gerbil loving gay pirates first discovered Kalifornia?

That kind of comment just makes you sound ignorant.

I spent the better part of five years living and working around every part of Texas and Louisiana. I really thought about moving there a couple of times, but in the end chose to remain in California for all it has to offer that no other state can come close to.

I probably am more familiar with more places in Texas and Louisiana than you are. How much of California have you visited? Or do you get your impressions of this country from what you hear on the news?

Having grown up in California, the first time I was ever solicited by a queer was at a roadside rest-stop near Austin, Texas when I was 29. Don't even get me started on what goes on in Southern Louisiana. So how about you do us all a favor and:

[Hi Heels]

"I hate Kullifornia, rah rah rah.... They have all gays there la tee dah... Gerbils, Hollyweird, rump monkeys ... blah blah blah...."

Stupid. Pointless.

[GVnana]

Thor Heyerdahl completed this voyage, didn't he? The Rah Expedition?

[j0060]

California does offer the best living conditions in the country. I've lived around the world, and came back here

As for the propositioning gays, I've never been approached in California. The first time I was solicited was by a Muslim in the Arab section of Jerusalem (very scary I tell you)

[ßuddaßudd]

Yep, just what a cowpoke would say.

Austin TX is the Berkley East, just with less teeth. (i forgot the FReeper who I quote from)

[edcoil]

Except of course the world was flat back then - so, there would be no reason to go.

[Hi Heels]

omg. What an experience that must have been.

[quadrant]

No doubt the current residents of Polynesia will claim their ancestors were cheated out of the land, and now the current residents of Polynesia are entitled to reparations.
How we are supposed to reconcile their claims with those of Indians and Mexicans has not been determined.
Only one thing is certain: lawyers are going to rack up a lot of billable hours sorting all this out.

[wildbill]

If the polynesians could get to Hawaii, why shuld we expect that their westward explorations should have ceaseedwith Easter Island.