RE: Did Croatians settle in America before Columbo?
September 24, 2019 at 2:24 pm
(This post was last modified: September 24, 2019 at 2:27 pm by Anomalocaris.)
(September 24, 2019 at 2:06 pm)EgoDeath Wrote:(September 24, 2019 at 1:51 pm)Anomalocaris Wrote: Maybe I am wrong, but, I think there is only real firm evidence of for the Vikings and the Inuits, and much more circumstantial evidence for the Polynesians having reached the Americas between end of the ice age about 12,000 years ago the end of the last ice age, and Columbus.
The other claims all seem to be fringe pet theories with only the most tenuous evidence and almost no mainstream professional genetic, paleontology, archeology and anthropology support.
Yeah, there are plenty of pet theories about on the subject.
I'm not sure who Loewen cited as having come before Columbus; there were several groups mentioned, among them were the Vikings and I think even a group of African sailors. Though, the main point in that section of Lies My Teacher Told Me seemed to focus more on the fact that Columbus was certainly not here first, which is often what is, or at least was, taught in American schools, hence the title of the book. As for the credibility behind the claims of who did come here, I can't say I ever looked into it at the time, as I was in high school when I read the book and, to be honest, wasn't too concerned with researching the topic.
I think most of us tend to just assume that the experts know what they're talking about. Personally, I don't have much stake in the conversation, as I couldn't really care less. Though the idea of Croatians coming here before Columbus is an interesting one; it's not one I've heard before.
Columbus were not the first. Native Americans and the Inuits were here already. We know the Vikings also came before, can't make a go of it, and left.
We know the live stocks and staple crops of the Polynesians and Native Americans somehow made their way to each other. Whether they actually met, and whether the Polynesians came, or native Americans went, and whether any of them ever reported back, are all unknown.
We also believe some European fishermen before Columbus probably knew of the cod fisheries in grand banks just off Canada. But close to Canada that might be, I think there was no real traceable tradition that says they reached shore.
But I think those are the only real evidences for other people reaching the Americas before Columbus.
What made Columbus special, the nasty consequences of his discovery upon the natives not withstanding, is the fact that he reported back and was able to establish continuous contact. That makes it true voyage of discovery.
If a ship wrecked group crawled onto American shores and hung on for a while and never reported back, or made no impression if they reported back, or left genetic imprint but negligible cultural impact amongst the native Americans, that really is a contingent event that left little real repercussion on either side. It is interesting, but nothing really worthy of taking pride in, much less chest thumping about "we were first".
