Talk:Pre-Columbian transoceanic contact theories/Archive 3

Dene-Yeniseian
The recent addition of a note on the Dene-Yeniseian language connection reminded me of a section, perhaps a somewhat extensive section, that I have been thinking of adding to this article. Currently, this article primarily functions as a dumping ground for fringe ideas that, even if they weren't clearly nonsense and had some slim chance of being correct, would be considered historically unimportant. However, the existence of trans-Bering cultural connections, likely involving a re-colonization of the Old World by inhabitants of the New, is an accepted if somewhat understudied aspect of world history. Simply put, some groups of the indigenous population of Siberia are extremely similar to some groups of the indigenous population in Alaska, for example employing technological adaptations that seem to have been invented in the New World. The things that have kept me from creating this section are: a) It sounds like a lot of work, and I'm lazy; b) It can be difficult to find sources that deal with this topic as one specific subject, and I don't want to add original research to the article, although this doesn't seem to be seen as a problem for all the other sections (i.e., there isn't one academic work which deals with all the randomness we lumped together as in the "15th century Europe" section); and c) In a way, I kind of don't want to add a legitimate and fascinating area of study, respectful of indigenous people, their accomplishments, and their history, into an article that is pretty much a collection of concepts that represent the exact opposite. Thoughts of other contributers would be very welcome. Regards, ClovisPt (talk) 06:03, 25 November 2008 (UTC)


 * I think that adding material to wiki on actual/plausible trans-Beringia contacts is a worthy idea, if the refs can be rounded up (I presume there's some published research out there somewhere, prob not much as u mention). But take the point about the general tenor of this present article- maybe, just a short mention in a lead section here on plausible/actual contacts, while another article- Beringia ? - or maybe articles could hold the actual details of such research/findings. --cjllw ʘ  TALK 07:31, 25 November 2008 (UTC)


 * The information recently added on the Thule (archaeological term for the direct ancestors of modern Inuit people) relates to this. However, my understanding has been that there is significant support archaeologically for the model that this culture developed in Alaska, and moved both east as far as Greenland and west into Siberia.  Can anyone find sources for this, or for the information as it stands in the current version of the article?  Thanks, ClovisPt (talk) 19:08, 18 February 2009 (UTC)

The anteater Sitchin claims is an elephant
See some images of anteaters here and as for the big ears, they seem to be something the toy makers liked (or they couldn't make better ears), see. dougweller (talk) 18:36, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

Portuguese Voyages: XIV and XV Centuries
For a Portuguese section(among others) if you want. This is important (a Brazilian author made that article here in wikipedia):

About the article "Alternative Theory of European Discovery of Brazil" that I see here in wikipedia(quote and explanation bellow):

"The received view of historians is that the Portuguese explorer and navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral was the first European to discover Brazil, in April 22, 1500, blown westwards to the Brazilian coast while navigating to the Cape of Good Hope, en route to India.[1]

One theory suggests that Sancho Brandão discovered Brazil in 1341, but since Portugal could not claim Brazil as theirs, they requested an extension of the imaginary line which separated the world in two halves. The Pope did extend the line towards the west, and they called it the Tordesillas Treaty. With this treaty, the imaginary line would leave part of the land in Brazil to Portugal. Then in 1500, secretly knowing that Brazil was there, Portugal sent Pedro Álvares Cabral (at the time known as Pedro Alvares Gouvêia), on an expedition to the land discovered by Sancho Brandão in 1341."

It is uncertain if Pedro Álvares Cabral was blown westwards to the Brazilian coast while navigating to the Cape of Good Hope, or the whole expedition was a secret mission to find new lands in the Atlantic as a response to the Spanish claims that Amerigo Vespucci had visited the Brazilian north coast in July 1499 and Vicente Yáñez Pinzón in November 1499". ..(Uncertain on the first case and was in January-February of 1500 in the case of Pinzón if it was in north Brazil or other part - Duarte Pacheco Pereira claims in his "Esmeraldo Situ Orbis" have been in Brazil in 1498 in a mission for King Manuel)..."According to the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494), Spain could not claim the lands."

Abouth this:

Mainstream historians claim this as the re-discovery of the Canary Islands by King Afonso IV´s orders(known history) or Terceira Island in Azores(would receive also the name Brasil,but whithout native people as we see in the letter about this discovery) by Portuguese captains (and Genovese) formed by Admiral Pessagna (Genovese) Contracted by the great King Dinis(Denis) his father, organizador and Founder of the Portuguese Armada(Ocean Fleet) and the King(With his wife Queen Saint Isabel of Aragon) savior of the Templar Order in Portugal, re-organized as Order of Christ as Maritime Order also now (this is also a historical fact). And Sancho (if this name will be truth) or another Captain would have received the popular last name from "Sancho (of lands of) Saint Brandon" or of "Brasil" of the Irish Saint, finder of the Hy Brazil, very well known in the Middle Ages in Portugal(include the old known legend in medieval Portugal also with many other popular medieval versions of their own). And thus "of Brandam-Brandão" as usual. Or it will have been his name(?). If this popular tradition about Sancho Brandão will be confirmed.

The Order of Christ would be the responsible Order for the Age of Discovery: Prince Henry(Administrator and Gran-Master)its Navigators Gonçalo Velho Cabral, Gonçalves Zarco, Diogo Silves, Bartolomeu Dias, Corte Real Family, Vasco da Gama, Pedro Alvares Cabral, Afonso de Albuquerque, Fernando de Magalhães(Ferdinand Magellan), Christopher Columbus(from Portugal and at Portugal´s service before both change their services to the Queen of Castile and the King of Castile, Spain and Emperor of Germany) and many other important navigators and captains were all navigators of this order and sailing in its ships, and all they formed by this Order.

Raquel de Souza(Historian) still cites navigators who had left references written on the existence of Brazil: In 1375, a cartographer of Majorca was sent to the Vatican for the king Charles V of France, with the mission to copy, to correct and to extend the original Portuguese map, in accordance with alterations made between 1343 and 1375. This geographic letter meets in the National Library of Paris (vidé Etnografia, 11, 132.c.XVI) being able in it to be seen the island of Brazil, its formation and geographic localization in the South America. In British Museum, in London, the map of the world of Ranuulf Nyggeder, dated of 1360 meets, where "was writen and drawn Island of the Brazil". Its position is identical to the one of the map of the king of France, Charles V. Brazil also is mentioned in others three geographic letters: of Andreia Bianco; of Becchario and of Nicolo Zeno. In XIV century, the planisphers of cartographers Solleri, Mediceu Branco and Pinelli already always showed a Brazil island, situated (notice this) West of the archipelago of Azores.

Letter from King Afonso IV(Son of King Dinis) to the Pope (Vaticano Archives):

"Diremos reverentemente a Vossa Santidade que os nossos naturais foram os primeiros que acharam as mencionadas ilhas do ocidente...– dirigimos para alli (ilhas do ocidente) os olhos do nosso entendimento, e desejando pôr em execução o nosso intento, mandamos lá as nossas gentes e algumas naus para explorarem a qualidade da terra, as quais abordando as ditas ilhas, se apoderaram, por força, de homens, animaes e outras cousas e as trouxeram com grande prazer aos nossos reinos" (12 February 1343 AD)

Translation:

"We will reverentement say to Your Sanctity that our natural ones had been the first ones that they had found the mentioned islands of west… - we direct for there (Islands of west) the eyes of our mind, and desiring to put in execution our intention, we order our people and some vessels to explore the quality of the land, which our people approaching the said islands, had taken possetion, for force, of men, animals and others things and had brought them with great pleasure to ours kingdoms" (12 February 1343 AD)

"He locketh as a sparhawk his eyen// Him nedeth not his colour for to dyen// With Brasil, no with grain, of Portugal"

English and Medieval poetry(1380) The Cantebury Tales, Conto nº 11

Book of Celtic stories and legends - Mabinogion, R. of Taliesin, XII, 144: <<...and Brasil of Portugali>>

About pre-knowledge to 1487:

in Carlos Mario Alexandrino da Silva site - his article(in portuguese):

"O historiador português Sousa Viterbo chegou à conclusão de que Mestre João era Joam Farás, bacharel em artes e medicina, físico e cirurgião particular do rei D. Manoel I, O Venturoso. Esse Joam Farás era um judeu converso natural da Galíza, em Espanha, e crê-se que tenha se fixado em Portugal por volta de 1485, tendo sido o tradutor do livro De Situ Orbis (Uma Descrição do Mundo) escrito em latim clássico, no século I d.C., pelo geógrafo romano Pompônio Mela, nascido na Península Ibérica. Foi devido a essa tradução que Sousa Viterbo conseguiu identificar Mestre João, também astrônomo de D. Manoel que diariamente queria saber o que lhe revelavam os astros... Mas, qual é, afinal, a relação existente entre esse Mestre João e a "descoberta" do Brasil? É que ele, na tal carta que enviou ao rei D. Manoel, escreveu o seguinte: " Mande Vossa Alteza trazer um mapa-múndi que tem Pero Vaz Bisagudo e por aí poderá V.ª ver o sítio desta terra; mas aquele mapa-múndi não certifica se esta terra é habitada ou não; é mapa antigo e ali achará Vossa Alteza escrita também a (fortaleza da) Mina"."

- Map of Brazil made by Pero Vaz Bizagudo in 1487(as master John wrote the portuguese Atlas with Brazil lands drawn by Pero Vaz Bisagudo in 1487; this atlas does not only relate if the land is inhabited - words of Master John itself ) - map at the time in Lisbon as it was said in this letter send by the same Master João(Cosmographer Master John) do the King Manuel I from Brazilian lands, when Pedro Alvares Cabral´s oficial Discovery and foundation of Brazil.(Master John was present in the fleet and in the oficial discovery)

This Letter was in Lisbon historical Archives of "Torre do Tombo".

About João Vaz Corte Real his Sons on the Portuguese and Danish joint expedition to the Island of the Codfish NewfoundLand (Canada) in 1472 already is related here among others. Light on all the heroes from all peoples, diferent religions or cultures(with historical truth and sources) thus GOD Blessed Be wants. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.22.170.172 (talk) 21:54, 17 April 2009 (UTC) ---

In 1436 the Portuguese sent by the Prince Henry discover Sargasso Sea close to the American continent - it is official history confirmed by the reference to this sea of the Sargassum(from portuguese word "Sargasso") in the Chart of Andreia Bianco with the name of this sea baptized by Portuguese sailors " mar de baga" and "mar de Sargasso" in another sources.

Letters of Donation: Prince Henry and Prince regent D. Pedro:

For Diogo de Teive from Azores - to Discover Antilia and the Seven Cities and "terra Firme" (continent) to the west in 1452

Also to Fernão Teles by the King John II(1475)

Also in the time of the king John II: To discover Antilia lands and islands again from Azores to the west: Fernão Dulmo(probably portuguese of Flemish origin) and João Afonso Estreito - 3 March 1483

All they had reward in future Azorean lands and in lands to discover on west in second trips for their previous explorations and previous findings. We need today is the final proof wich is a detailed story-relate of their trips and findings in America.

I quote a summary of João Câmara(with cortesy):

As we have seen earlier, the Portuguese in the XVth century made voyages to the open sea, that for example resulted in the discovery of Corvo and Flores islands in Azores. Did some of these voyages reach America? We will see some. Diogo de Teive navigated to the west (in 1451) 150 leagues from Faial (in Azores). In the return of this voyage he discovered Corvo and Flores. He was searching for the mytical island of Seven Cities, but he did not find it. Please note that he navigated until Ireland, so open sea voyages were not a problem to the Portuguese explorers, as sometimes is said. However, he did a second voyage in 1452 with Pedro Vasques de la Frontera and found the mytical island! It is not known if he navigated North, in the direction of the Newfoundland Banks, or to South, in the direction of the Sargasso Sea, that was already known by the Portuguese. This island may be for example, Sable, Bermuda or one of the Caribbean, but what is important here is that it was probably one of the islands of the American continent. There are more "phantom explorers" as António Leme before 1484, that discovered 3 islands, João Vogado in 1462, Gonçalo Fernandes by order of Infante D. Fernando in 1462, Vicente Dias and Fernão Teles. This last one even guaranteed the monopoly of the commerce of the islands he discovered in 1475. Please note that in this time neither the Treaty of Alcáçovas nor the Treaty of Tordesilhas were in effect.

(National Archives - Historical Letters of Donation) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.132.210.240 (talk • contribs)
 * Not important at all here with reliable & verifiable sources - see WP:RS and WP:Verifiable. Dougweller (talk) 21:09, 19 April 2009 (UTC)

---You are "kidding" with me, with all respet, we have here the article "Alternative Theory of European Discovery of Brazil" and others with many cronicles and stories(its here in en-wikipedia another articles) - But about this article here: a speculative article(Pre-columbian voyages) highly based in hipotesis and some cases in less evidence sources(but probably true voyages I believe and I believe since ancient times) the portuguese trips of XIV and XV centuries go beyond the verbal tradition, wich they also have(same source of many voyages here) has also books about it published for posterior historians, but more important, the orders of exploration dated and notarized, commanded by Kings and governors in that centuries - rest in one of the most important national historical archives, beyond any doubt. We only need to know the desteny with more accurancy. More than others here. Any way we all should avoid any nationalism or culture-centrism here. Of course clearly the case of portuguese voyages long tradition is misrepresented here, but not only on Iberian, african, european peoples etc.. Improve it. Intelectual honesty.

In the records the medieval Spanish and Portuguese story of how an archbishop and six bishops with their followers fled to the west in the eighth century to escape from the invading Moors. They sailed from Portugal to some place over the seas to the west, where seven cities (Sete Cidades) were established. New Foundland, Cape Breton ruins and other countries in the continent and islands are destinations of the speculation in this legend - this old iberian story.

"Then, in this year, also 1447, a boat happened arrive to Portugal that had crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and having been carried out for a great storm, was forced to sail more for west of what the men would have desired and finally they had been to an island that had seven cities, and the people spoke the Portuguese language, and had asked if the Moors still disturbed Hispânia…. The Master of the ship brought a little of sand and sell it a silversmith of Lisbon, of which he took off a good amount of gold. D. Pedro(Prince Regent and Prince Henry´s brother)knowing of that and being governor of the kingdom, ordered to come to the homeland all the things that had there and made it to know, so that it was written(registado) in the House of Justice. Some think that these islands where the Portuguese had been lead were the Antilhas or New Spain, presenting good reasons to justify their opinion."

António Galvão - Cronist(Governor of Moluccas) XVI century

Fernando Columbus, son of Christopher Columbus also gave certification of the same Portuguese trip of 1447 to west send by D. Pedro, who visits the territory and its peoples(same voyage, same date and same desteny).

Pedro Rodrigues(3 articles above)

"...Most 15th-century Portuguese charts of the Atlantic Ocean include two stylized rectangles representing the legendary western isles. Usually, the southern-most isle is called “Antillia;” while the northern isle is some variation of “Satanaxio” or “Saluaga.”  The name “Antillia” has been translated as “isle before the mainland” or “the island opposite Tile” (where Tile represents the Roman Arctic frontier of Iceland).  Figure 1 shows the earliest known Portuguese version of the Western Atlantic seen on a 1424 chart most commonly known as the “Pizzigano Portolan.”  On this map, Antillia is situated in the far west at the latitude of the Strait of Gibraltar.  However, this map is not the earliest example of western isles in that locality.  Two Arabic maps (Figure 2), by Al-Idrisi in 1154 and by Ibn Said ca. 1250, reveal that legends or actual reports of overseas isles were common knowledge among cartographers at an early date.

When Portugal’s Prince Henry The Navigator inaugurated his campaign to explore the Atlantic Ocean in 1418, finding the lost isles of Antillia and Seven Cities was a major concern. Royal charters issued to eager explorers during Henry’s lifetime and even up to the time of Columbus clearly stipulate “Antillia or the Isle of Seven Cities” as the principal objective. Even Bristol merchants sought after Antillia along with another illusive isle in the west--Hybresail.

In addition to sending vessels to explore the west coast of Africa, Henry dispatched Goncalo Velho Cabral to look for Antillia or the Isle of Seven Cities in 1425. Although Captain Cabral’s first mission has been characterized as a failure due to the lack of any published report of success, he apparently located the Azores in 1427. This occurred during another effort to find the lost western isles. Vague reports of isles that were sighted farther west and to the north occasionally found their way into the correspondence of Portuguese mariners; however, official chronicles remained silent regarding the outcome of such expeditions due to the policy of secrecy imposed on royal ventures. Diogo de Silves sailed west in 1427. Goncalo Cabral sailed west again in 1431. According to Ferdinand Colon, the son of Columbus, a Portuguese vessel had reached Antillia by this point in time. It was a notable event in the folklore of the dockyards and quays of Iberia because the crew of one Portuguese vessel reported finding gold in sand taken from the shore. Joao Fernandes (the laborador for whom Labrador is named) sailed repeatedly between 1431 and 1486. Vincent Dias sailed west in 1445; Diego de Tieve’s commission in 1454 stipulated that he seek the Isle of Antillia. According to Pedro Velasco, a confidant of Columbus, the isle of Antillia had been sighted prior to Diego’s mission. Numerous western expeditions followed: Dom Fernao in 1457; Joao Vogado in 1462; Jao Vaz Corte-Real in 1464; Ruy Concalves da Camera in 1473; Fernao Telles in 1474; Antonio Leme and the daFonte brothers in 1476; Fernao Domingo de Arco in 1484; Fernao Dulmo, Alfonso de Estreito and Martin Behaim in 1486; and three more expeditions by Vincent Dias between 1482 and 1494.

The Dulmo-Estreito expedition must have been a success of some consequence because Ferdinand Colon reported that they had reached the “Isle of Baccalaos” (a.k.a., the isle of stockfish or cod). This was an early Portuguese-Bosque name for Newfoundland and the Grand Banks. Another Portuguese name for the same region was “Corte-realis”--in honor of the explorer Jao Vas Corte-Real and his sons. ..."

THE FRIAR’S MAP OF ANCIENT AMERICA--1360 AD. Gunnar Thompson. Radio Bookstore Press, 1996. LEGENDARY ISLANDS OF THE ATLANTIC. William Babcock, American Geographical Society, 1922. THE COLUMBUS MYTH: DID MEN FROM BRISTOL REACH AMERICA BEFORE COLUMBUS? Ian Wilson. Simon & Schuster, 1991. ATLAS OF COLUMBUS AND THE GREAT DISCOVERIES. Kenneth Nebenzahl. Rand McNally, 1990. --

Isle of Itamaracá Pernambuco - PE - Brazil

The term "Itamaracá" derives from the Tupi language, meaning of "stone that sings" or "rock sounding."

According to records from IBGE(site of old doc. about Brazil) the French court of Bayona cites the "occupation of the island by Portuguese already in 1491" on the process of the crimes of the ship(Carrack) "La Pélerin". ..."the first inhabitants were sunk." -states that nine years before the discovery of Brazil (1491) (and one year before the first voyage of Columbus to America) Portuguese "lived on the island of Itamaracá and had houses of brick. "

Attention: from reliable Brazilian oficial source - We need to know the historical french doc. and check out all this history was about with detail —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.113.163.75 (talk) 15:57, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

Antilia :

"A Portuguese legend tells how the island was settled in the early eighth century in the face of the Moorish conquest of Iberia by the Archbishop of Porto, six other bishops and their parishioners, to avoid the ensuing Moorish invasion. Each congregation founded a city, respectively Aira, Anhuib, Ansalli, Ansesseli, Ansodi, Ansolli and Con[7], and once established burnt their caravell ships as a symbol of their autonomy. The reporting of this settlement comes courtesy of a young couple who eloped back to Europe on a rare trading ship[8] and reported the seven cities as a model of agricultural, economic and cultural harmony. Centuries later, the island became known as a proto-utopian commonwealth, free from the disorders of less favoured states. ..." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.113.163.75 (talk) 14:48, 17 June 2009 (UTC)

Scope of article
This article begins by defining the matter as
 * Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact describes alleged interactions between the indigenous peoples of the Americas and peoples of other continents – Africa, Asia, Europe, or Oceania – before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492.

This means that it is off-topic to include the arrival of indigenous peoples, since they have to be settled in the Americas to have a contact with other continents to begin with, and we already have an article named Models of migration to the New World. If evidence of contact such as shown by inuits and Dene-Yeniseian are to be included, the scope has to be re-defined. Moreover, passages across the Bering strait, which probably never ceased, are hardly "trans-oceanic".--Berig (talk) 10:18, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
 * I agree. We have the Models of migration for those topics. Certainly I see no reason to change the scope of the article. Dougweller (talk) 11:02, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Me too! - I also agree, but it still does not explain or excuse Berig's deletions. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 11:17, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
 * He/she explained them in the edit summary - they are part of the migration of indigenous Americans and thus don't belong here. Dougweller (talk) 11:35, 7 May 2009 (UTC)

How is trans-bering contact by Inuits and their ancestors not "interactions between the indigenous peoples of the Americas and peoples of other continents"? ClovisPt (talk) 05:30, 20 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Above all it was not "trans-oceanic". I suggest you write an article named Pre-Columbian trans-Bering Strait contact instead, where you can discuss linguistic and archaeological evidence for voyages across the 85 km wide Bering Strait before 1492.--Berig (talk) 06:26, 20 May 2009 (UTC)