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If somebody arrived, they were Arabs and it was a trade secret. The most plausible theory is that of Countess Medina Sidonia. She was sort of nutty, but at least she was using maps and descriptions of her own library. Her ancestors owned the harbour from were Colombus departed. They invested money.
The Inquisition and Dominicans were believers, they did have information.
The Genoese had their own sailing tradition and had ventured out into the Atlantic in search of the Canary Islands generations before Columbus.. this contributed to the knowledge base for extended voyages to the west..
Columbus himself was going northwest as a rank&file sailor in his 20s. An event that is not typically prominent in his life story, but may have had a deep, psychological effect.. while stopping in Ireland, Columbus reported on a pair of frozen bodies that washed ashore 'on two tree trunks'. Based on their "extraordinary" physical features, Columbus interpreted them as being voyagers from a not too distant China (Cathay). I guess the modern insight is that they were Indians who left North America, island hopping thru the North Atlantic & got lost/then deceased at sea (?) But their arrival signalled to Columbus that Asia was closer in the West than believed.. Obviously (now) the assumption about Asia was incorrect, but his fundamental deduction about proximity of Western coasts may have been valuable to Columbus confidence & impetus.
..if Columbus hadn't stumbled on the Bahamas in 1693, someone else would have. He was looking for a route to Asia.
Fri, Not sure if your post was a typo (?) But your date is off by essentially 200 years..
Columbus was looking for an alternate route to Asia, there were already known routes.. but to your broad point, I agree some other European would've eventually crossed the Atlantic. But Columbus did it first, and deserves the credit. Why is this cynical standard not applied to other firsts.. do u undermine Jackie Robinson's historical achievement by saying well someone else would've eventually integrated modern baseball..
while stopping in Ireland, Columbus reported on a pair of frozen bodies that washed ashore 'on two tree trunks'. Based on their "extraordinary" physical features, Columbus interpreted them as being voyagers from a not too distant China (Cathay).
Occasionally, living Inuit people washed up or coasted the Shetlands and other northern islands near Scotland. The locals thought they were strange people from Norway or some northern part of Scandinavia.
People roamed around more than we think. The Irish monks reached Iceland before the Viking settlements but probably never were numerous and left when the pagan Vikings arrived.
Occasionally, living Inuit people washed up or coasted the Shetlands and other northern islands near Scotland. The locals thought they were strange people from Norway or some northern part of Scandinavia.
People roamed around more than we think. The Irish monks reached Iceland before the Viking settlements but probably never were numerous and left when the pagan Vikings arrived.
Exactly, it just wasn't documented as well by cultures that did, and sometimes for commerce 'resource trade secret' i.e. the ancient seafaring peoples (Phoenicians?) who procured easily surface mined copper from upper great lakes of North America as one example.
The whole "CC" discovered N America is a disservice and mostly for bragging. Various N Europeans Vikings made trip to N America, Leif Ericsson, Icelandic settlements in Greenland, The Scots made trip in 1300s under Prince Henry Sinclair and essentially 'claimed' vast territory of N America in the manner of their time. The Chinese in the Americas https://www.ancient-origins.net/anci...experts-003087
The whole "CC" discovered N America is a disservice and mostly for bragging. Various N Europeans Vikings made trip to N America, Leif Ericsson, Icelandic settlements in Greenland, The Scots made trip in 1300s.. The Chinese in the Americas..
Respectfully, there's not compelling, unassailable evidence "the Chinese" travelled back & forth to North America. It's ironic that you undermine the individual achievement of Columbus.. saying that recognizing his well documented achievement does a 'disservice' to history. But then give the entire nation of China credit, without direct evidence of their voyages..
I would also submit that Columbus' voyage(s) across the open Atlantic, studying & documenting currents and winds was a much greater navigational feat than the island hopping done by Vikings. It doesn't negate the trips made by Vikings. They preceded Columbus in the Americas. But a much different accomplishment, and the Viking island hopping had much less impact on course of history.
Discovery and colonization should have started before the Crusades. The Vikings already discovered New World.
The knowledge cannot possibly be that big of a secret. Scandinavia was more and more becoming integrated into European society, and the Greenland settlement last up until the 1400s
Respectfully, there's not compelling, unassailable evidence "the Chinese" travelled back & forth to North America.
I think that there were several, maybe dozens, of successful arrivals but only a few returns. The Vikings reported some voyages but probably made more than we know. The Greenlanders made trips for wood, there and back. There are traditions and tales of others like the Welsh and St. Brendan from Ireland. There is DNA evidence of ancient Japanese in some remote South American groups but they apparently stayed and survived for a while. I'm wondering if Viking DNA will turn up at some point. I've not heard of any.
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