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William
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Joined: 30 Mar 2005
{Posts: 1047 }
Location: New Jersey
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 Posted: Tue 04 Mar 2008 04:01 Post subject: Pre-Columbian South American and Pacific Island Contact |
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I just saw a program on History International entitled Mummy Forensics. An intentionally embalmed Peruvian mummy was discovered, and it dates to ca. 1200 A.D. The resin used to very effectively embalm the cadaver was from an araucarian tree (related to the monkey puzzle tree), but not from a species indigenous to South America. The particular species of tree from which the mummy's resin came is located only across the Pacific Ocean, on a southern Pacific island. Oceanographers and other experts claim the resin could not have survived on a log floating in the water for the length of time required for it to have reached Peru. The log would have been in very poor shape if it survived at all. The conclusion drawn is that there must have been contact between South Americans and Pacific peoples at this time. Corroboration for contact between Pacific Islanders and South Americans, it was stated, comes from the fact that the sweet potato, which originated in South America, had been distributed among the Pacific Islands not long after 1000 A.D.
If this is old news that we have already discussed, forgive me for posting it again, as I don't recall it. I haven't researched this on the Internet, but merely posted what I just saw on the program. |
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fwsweet
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Joined: 26 Nov 2004
{Posts: 4527 }
Location: Palm Coast, FL
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| Posted: Tue 04 Mar 2008 04:31 Post subject: Re: Pre-Columbian South American and Pacific Island Contact |
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| William wrote: | | The conclusion drawn is that there must have been contact between South Americans and Pacific peoples at this time. Corroboration for contact between Pacific Islanders and South Americans, it was stated, comes from the fact that the sweet potato, which originated in South America, had been distributed among the Pacific Islands not long after 1000 A.D. |
I do not think that this is controversial any more. 1000-year-old chicken bones have been found in Chile containing DNA that matches Polynesian chickens. National Geographic is usually conservative and reliable (except for one bird/dinosaur fiasco several years ago), and the magazine's current issue has an article titled "Pioneers of the Pacific" that traces both waves of west-to-east Pacific colonization. It mentions casually in passing that the Polynesians made it to South Anmerica.
I think what we discussed before (with Omar as I recall) was the possibility of a much earlier colonization wave sometime around 20 kya. As far as I know, there is no evidence of this. We also talked about a wave from either Africa or Polynesia during the Neolithic (perhaps 5 kya). I was willing be persuaded on the basis of cotton cultivation and weaving, but I got shot down (different species of cotton). |
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William
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Joined: 30 Mar 2005
{Posts: 1047 }
Location: New Jersey
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| Posted: Tue 04 Mar 2008 04:36 Post subject: |
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I'll have to pick up that issue of National Geographic. I usually look through N.G. at the news stand, and if anything appeals to me, I buy it. I didn't see the current issue yet.
Yes, now I vaguely recall the discussion with Omar. I think he was able to demonstrate the native origins of the things in question. Wasn't there something about a lacquer as well? |
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fwsweet
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Joined: 26 Nov 2004
{Posts: 4527 }
Location: Palm Coast, FL
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| Posted: Wed 05 Mar 2008 06:18 Post subject: |
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| William wrote: | | Wasn't there something about a lacquer as well? |
Yes, but that was later yet. I had suggested that Mexican lacquer ware could have resulted from a Chinese visit in 1421, giving an example of a Mexican pot with a Chinese design. Omar showed that the lacquer was made differently from different materials and that Mexicans began producing ware with Chinese designs only after the Spanish gave them Chinese designs and told them to produce such ware for export. |
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