For those who haven’t, it’s an Ancient Aliens kind of thing where each week they look at some mysterious site or legend that they conclude is evidence of ancient people being in America long before Columbus.
For those who have, what do you think of this? What about this appeals to some people? I believe there are a couple sites that indicate a european presence in america a century or so before Columbus. But most of this is what I call cryptoarcheology. :rolleyes:
ps I’m a noob so if this is not the right forum for something like this, please re-direct me.
The Vikings were in (a small corner of) America 500 years before Columbus. And of course there were “ancient people” here for tens of thousands of years before that who migrated from Asia.
The rest, I’ll hazard a guess without actually seeing it, is 100% misguided, misinformed and incorrect.
I agree except that I find it hard to believe that in those 500 years, the Vikings and their Norse descendents never got beyond L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland. I mean, they had already done the hard part, cross to Greenland, by the year 1000. At least exploring a ways down the North American coast would seem obvious and more likely than not. There may be the remains of a Vinland in New England still to be discovered, I don’t believe though, that any of them ventured inland as far as Minnesota as some claim.
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For those who have, what do you think of this? What about this appeals to some people? I believe there are a couple sites that indicate a european presence in america a century or so before Columbus. But most of this is what I call cryptoarcheology.
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Even if such theories are true, the main problem with them is the “so what?” factor because any supposed contact the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Romans, Africans, Chinese, etc. may have had with North and South America and their indigenous cultures ultimately proved to be a dead end. Even what the Vikings did, while noteworthy, had only a minor historical impact because their settlement was short-lived and the territory explored was assumed to be a small island in the extreme north rather than a continental land mass. Unless there’s solid evidence of someone from the Old World arriving in the New World before 1000 A.D. and sticking around long enough to leave behind some diseases, “history” programs like this are just a slight cut above those dealing with aliens and Atlantis.
I don’t find it hard at all. The Viking ships weren’t as well equipped as Columbus’ were – smaller and less seaworthy; 500 years more primitive. Their settlements were sparse and harsh – the one in Greenland shrank and disappeared, probably due to starvation, brought on by their refusal to adapt to their surroundings like the Eskimos did. The Vikings wanted cattle to eat, not fish and seal, and that was a fatal error.
When a population falls below a certain level, it is apt to be wiped out. Precious few resources are available for risky, remote ventures in unforgiving climates. The Vikings were stretched to the limit and had no more to give.
In retrospect, if they had gone farther south, the climate would have been more favorable and they would have had a better chance to survive. Either they didn’t know that, or they had no leeway to experiment when survival was paramount and exploration was way down on the list.
Obviously they didn’t succeed or there would have been vikings there when Columbus came. But if you look at how far Columbus went across open ocean, then look at the globe from the top at how little the vikings and especially the Norse of several hundred years later had to go, and there is no comparison. Also, I’m not talking about settlements with women and children, just exploration parties. Until 1963, skeptics scoffed that Vikings made it to Newfoundland in 1000AD. I’m only scoffing at Minnesota.
Oh yeah? So where did all their descendents now in Minnesota come from? :dubious:
According to her steamer trunk my great-grandmother came from Oslo, bound for Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, which calls itself “The Oldest Community on the Upper Mississippi River,” which means it was there BEFORE the “Native” Americans! And how did she get to St Paul from there, walk? It’s 200 miles by land, and that trunk is far too heavy to carry! So my hypothesis is that in the dark days of prehistory, or about 140 years ago, Viking longboats plied the Mississippi, taking people like my great-grandmother along a thriving trade route on the Upper Mississippi, or that Viking blacksmiths fashioned primitive mechanisms to transport goods and people along what experts call “The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad!” But none of this can be proven because I didn’t ask my mom when I was talking to her earlier this evening!
Columbus navigated 500 years later, in the tropics, with 3 square-rigged caravels with below-deck storage. The Norse were always in climates so cold they had to dodge icebergs, in open boats with few, primitive sails. The Norse explored, but they tried to create settlements, most of which failed, due to long supply lines and inability to cope with the harsh elements.
The news of what the Norse discovered was slow to return to Europe – you could say it never got there at all – and reinforcements were hard to come by. Columbus’ discoveries were rapidly made known and many others soon began to make the trip.
WOW—have you told this to anybody else yet?
You could sell it to the History channel—it’s good for 4 or 5 episodes, at least. And that’s before you tell 'em the part about your ancestors in Roswell. Because Area 52 is named after the 52nd parallel, which crosses the Arctic sea, which was full of Vikings, like your grandma. See…it all fits!
Watching it right now. Apparently Minoans traveled to the Great Lakes region of North America between 3500 and 5000 years ago, mined one billion pounds of copper, and brought it back to Europe with them. There’s indisputed evidence of this, including lumps of clay, holes in the ground, and several rumors. Of course the most convincing evidence is that there were Minoans, they had copper, and there’s copper in the Great Lakes region. There’s no other possible explanation except for 10,000 Minoans mining the region for at least 1,000 years.
So, the Minoans invented container shipping and that knowlege was lost?
That reminds of the East Texas legend of the Spanish gold lost at Buckshot Crossing crossing on the Angelina River. Supposedly, a Spanish supply convoy that include a mule carrying a pack of gold wrapped in a cowhide (a cowhide full of gold) was lost crossing the river. My dad said, “Never mind the gold, I want the see the mule that could pack that much weight.”
Susan R. Martin is going to get quite a shock when she watches this show. All of her debunking has been rebunked with videos, fresh speculation, and other scientific means such as on screen graphics.
“Wow! Look at this ancient copper mine.”
“Yeup, it’s real deep.”
“Obviously there has been copper mining going on here.”
“Obviously.”
“Must have been the Minoans.”
“I can’t see any other answer at all.”
This seems to be a companion show for the most hated (by me) show they have: Ancient Aliens. At least the host of this show doesn’t have stupid hair.
“I’m not sayin’ it’s ancient Minoans. . . but it’s ancient Minoan— aliens!”
