China discovers America ?

[tywy_99]

I think it could be possible that he could have drawn the map. It is not unusual for different people in different parts of the world to come up with the same idea. Early seafarers did not use longtitude for navigation but just followed a line of latitude by keeping the same angle from the North Star. Go east or west until you hit some dirt. They would get pretty close to following the same track on the return trip if they wished. No fancy instruments were needed. At that time they probably figured out that that angle equaled their lat. even if they did not know what lat was.

 

Can the map be carbon dated with any accuracy?

183572[/snapback]

There was no way for early seafarers to measure longitude and measuring latitude was crude at best. Do you know of the act of Queen Anne of 1714?

The early seafarers took their chances by dead reckoning and a lot of luck. They followed whatever course the winds and tides took them. Many of them perished and there were no good maps of the ocean blue and certainly not in 1418!

It was the tradewinds that blew Columbus across the Atlantic to the New World. Columbus had not a clue to where he was headed nor had he any control of his course. [thought he was in India! ]

It wasn't until longitude was measurable at sea was any decent maps produced. Before then, there was only dead reckoning and the good favors of the Gods.

 

I must go down to the sea again

To the lonely sea and sky

And all I ask is a tall ship

And a star to steer her by

[mercator]

Ancient polynesians were pretty successful, but the nature of their seafaring skills are just speculation. Easy to assume, though, that if the Chinese journeyed forth as much as they say, they ran into some Polynesians. If they were all peaceful, maybe some knowledge was traded... same for anywhere else.

 

Remember Marco Polo was about in those days, and some knowledge could have been traded that way as well.

 

Personally, I don't buy it. I think it is probably propaganda, timed with all the other propaganda about how great China is. We Americans are propaganda hounds too... seems like the game to play in geopolitics...

[skibum]

Ty, it is not at all hard to measure lat. Go outside at night and you can almost guess at the angle. If you were on a boat, you take a stick and set it on the cabin top, cut a notch where the N. Star is and every night,see if you are still on course and if not turn N or S a little.

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Interesting link on navigation...

 

http://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/are...arts/malat.html

[skibum]

I just saw this but it may not be new news.

http://english.people.com.cn/200603/25/eng...325_253401.html

[david_dawei]

I just saw this but it may not be new news.

http://english.people.com.cn/200603/25/eng...325_253401.html

201808[/snapback]

nice update.. was waiting to hear of anything about this....

[philb]

David:

 

yes I have read it. Some of it is very interesting; some dry and some may be reaching...but it does have much compelling information.

 

Better for the long flights over or before going to bed.

 

Right now I am into "China Inc." and "MAO" by the same couple who wrote "Wild Swans".

 

I feel that Wild Swans should be mandatory reading on one of those 14 hour excursions!

 

I just finished "The Rape of Nanking" - now that will open your eyes!

"Red China Blues" was also very good.

 

As you can tell; I've got to do something other than eating cheetos!

 

Phil

[Robg8888]

Why is it that every time I read about America being discovered, the "adventurers" were greeted by Indians. So.........what did the Indians do then?

[skibum]

Philb, If you get to Nanjing (Nanking), there is a museum located in one of the burial grounds that will really wake you up.

 

I have always thought that reading "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck should be required reading also. It give a good idea of rural life in China after the start of the 20th century. She won the Pulitzer prize for it I believe.

 

The Mao book looks interesting.

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Philb, If you get to Nanjing (Nanking), there is a museum located in one of the burial grounds that will really wake you up.

 

I have always thought that reading "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck should be required reading also. It give a good idea of rural life in China after the start of the 20th century. She won the Pulitzer prize for it I believe.

 

The Mao book looks interesting.

202237[/snapback]

A great book indeed....

 

"The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck

 

Her Biography....

[SmilingAsia]

Viewing in Guangzhou, women from Guangxi province are the first Chinese women who found American guys - that's the second greatest discovery after Chritopher Clumbus!