One occasionally hears about pre-Columbian visitors to North and South America from Old World civilizations (Vikings for example).
I was wondering if there was any evidence or even conjecture regarding American natives reaching the Old World in the time before Columbus?
Seems to me they could have taken advantage of the same currents, and although they didn’t (as far as I know) have the same quality of oceangoing vessels that the Old Worlder’s had… if St. Brendan could theoretically reach North America in a currach, why couldn’t Native Americans reach the Old World in a canoe?
I’m sorry I don’t have any cites for this, but I recall reading some conjecture that early South/Central American sailors might have reached Africa. Nothing about Europe that I know of, and IIRC, the conjecture was more that a lost fisherman or a trading ship caught in a storm might have wound up in Africa, not a purposeful exploration voyage.