Fattman's comments re: who discovered America

believe the Native Americans 'discovered' America, followed by Vikings....

er?? Wasn't it recently said that the Chinese discovered America, i.e. Cheng!

believe the Native Americans 'discovered' America, followed by Vikings....

er?? Wasn't it recently said that the Chinese discovered America, i.e. Cheng!

One author made the claim that Cheng sailed to America in 1421, but hardly discovered it, since it doesn't take into account the millions who were already living there for thousands of years. An arrival by Cheng in 1421 still leaves quite a gap to fill from America's earliest known people who might be offended to think that they didn't count. This quote articulates the matter in the most up to date and scientific thinking on the matter:

"LONG BEFORE the white man set foot on American soil, the American Indians, or rather the Native Americans , had been living in America. When the Europeans came here, there were probably about 10 million Indians populating America north of present-day Mexico. And they had been living in America for quite some time. It is believed that the first Native Americans arrived during the last ice-age, approximately 20,000 - 30,000 years ago through a land-bridge across the Bering Sound, from northeastern Siberia into Alaska . The oldest documented Indian cultures in North America are Sandia (15000 BC), Clovis (12000 BC) and Folsom (8000 BC)"

Just my two pence!

... I'll rephrase it. Wasn't it the Chinese (Cheng) who put America on the map - in fact I read somewhere where it was actually documented in China i.e. they had proof/documentation hidden away for many years that proved Cheng "put America on the map". Similarly, with the Cook Islands also.

And we care because...?

The Chinese may well have mapped America. In regard to visits to America by non-native Americans, there is evidence of a Viking settlement, which certainly pre-dates any Chinese visit.

As there are all these different records as well as reports of so many different people discovering America, it clearly indicates to me one fact that everyone should be able to be unanimous in agreeing on, that fact being, that none of those who have been credited as being the first to find it, wanted to be blamed and held solely accountable for it's discovery. :iconbiggrin:

On a more serious note, I believed the same as Wesley when the voyages to America by Chen were revealed by the Chinese. Up until your reports of a Viking settlement fattman, this was something that I have never heard of before. Do you have links to any web pages regarding this settlement. I am asking this not because I disbelieve what you have said, but for the reason that I would be very interested in reading about these Vikings if you do.

Cheers,


George.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_colonization_of_the_Americas

http://www.mnh.si.edu/vikings/1137.html

http://www.infohub.com/ARTICLES/20000327.html

Something to keep you going :bom:

Much obliged for these links fattman and vey much appreciated.



George.