Did a Chinese Eunuch Discover America?

**AliceInWonderland** · January 17th, 2006, 03:06 PM

Did Chinese Eunuch Discover America?

POSTED: 11:47 am PST January 17, 2006
UPDATED: 12:00 pm PST January 17, 2006

BEIJING -- An ancient Chinese map unveiled in Beijing on Monday may prove it was a Chinese eunuch who first discovered America, seven decades before Columbus came upon the New World.

Images | Video

The map is said to be a 1763 copy of a much older map dating back to 1418. The map clearly depicts Africa, Europe and the Americas.

As we all know from the rhyme, Christopher Columbus supposedly discovered America in 1492. But if the Chinese map is proven to be authentic, it's strong evidence to suggest that Admiral Zheng He beat Columbus by at least 74 years.

Zheng commanded a massive fleet which sailed between 1405 and 1433.

His mandate during that time was to spread the glory of China to the world and establish trade.

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love the title!

**Barbara** · January 17th, 2006, 03:39 PM

Just imagine having to rewrite ALL history books and dictionaries and stuff if that is true

**AliceInWonderland** · January 17th, 2006, 04:28 PM

Well we all already know that Columbus didn't "discover" shit! but you don't see any history books writing about that, or his slave abuse, or his lame fall from grace and lonely death. History is written by the winners and btw how can you discover something that already has human inhabitants.?!

**Barbara** · January 17th, 2006, 04:54 PM

It's like when they discovered oxygen and stuff. How did they breathe before that discovery?

You have a point.

**AliceInWonderland** · January 17th, 2006, 05:05 PM

hahahaha

thats a good one!

"um, I just discovered wood, i found it in my backyard!"

**Grimmlok** · January 17th, 2006, 05:06 PM

They forgot to mention the vikings who found Canada before Columbus too..

**AliceInWonderland** · January 17th, 2006, 05:22 PM

i believe Africans sailed to Mexico/central america as well but hey who's keeping score anyways ...

http://www.crystalinks.com/olmec.html

**gonflable** · January 24th, 2006, 07:44 PM

Vikings

Leiv Eriksson came to America around year 1000 and called it Vinland (Wineland)

http://leiferiksson.vanderkrogt.net/index.html

**ourmaninBusan** · January 24th, 2006, 08:03 PM

Here's food for thought --

"It's not what you discover, it's what you do with that discovery."

In other words, if you discover a new chemical compound that's
reflective, goodie for you. But if you spray that chemical onto a
piece of glass and call it a "mirror," you have taken that development/
discovery to a whole new level.

The Vikings may have gotten to America by the 11th century,
400 years before Columbus, but their colonies failed to survive.
I think the same is true of the Chinese cartographers who drew
the 1421 map, although I could be wrong.

So they aren't going to erase Columbus' contribution to history
just yet, because his arrival in the new world transformed the world.

**SVZ** · January 24th, 2006, 08:04 PM

Yeah, I agree with Ourmanin here...this "debate" is only going to be for bragging rights, that's it.

**gonflable** · January 24th, 2006, 08:06 PM

But he still didn't discover North-America, at least not according to this: http://muweb.millersville.edu/~colum...t/LAUFER02.ART

MYTH: Columbus set foot on North American soil at some point now
a part of mainland United States.

FACT: Columbus never saw North America. His first landfall was
in the Bahamas, probably the current San Salvador (Watlings
Island), although even this is disputed (Samana Cay, an island 65
miles south of San Salvador is a strong contender). There are
proponents for seven other possible island landing sites. The
only current U.S. territories either sighted or visited by
Columbus are the U.S. Virgin Islands, which Columbus named on his
second voyage, and Puerto Rico. While in anchor of St. Croix
(USVI) on November 14, 1493, some of Columbus' crew experienced
the first hostile encounter with the Indians. Five days later he
landed at San Juan Bautista, now Puerto Rico. Later he would
visit the northeastern tip of South America and the eastern coast
of Central America, but never mainland U.S.A. The fact is that
Columbus never admitted that he had discovered a new continent.

**ourmaninBusan** · January 24th, 2006, 08:21 PM

Later he would visit the northeastern tip of South America
and the eastern coast of Central America, but never mainland U.S.A.

This then begs the question -- what continent are the Caribbean
islands/Greater Antilles/Lesser Antilles part of? I think that depends
on what "tectonic plate" they're on, and therefore, I don't know.

One thing Columbus did prove is that the distance was traversible
by sea. As is pointed out in Ridley Scott's movie 1492,
the powers-that-were didn't want to finance Columbus's trip
because, even though they thought the world was round,
they also thought that the distance to "India" was three times
longer than what it actually was; hence, no trio of ships
could carry enough supplies to cross it.