Entry into the New World by Europeans & Africans

This essay deals with the subject of pre-Columbian penetration of the New World by peoples from the Old World of Europe and Africa, whether as traders, explorers, or potential colonizers. It is a subject beset with difficulties, since there are multitudinous reasons why persons might deny the existence of real evidence, on the one hand, or create factitious "evidence," on the other. At the least, it seems clear that there were many visits from the Old World (besides the Norse Vinland expedition) before 1492, although their extent and lasting influence (if any) remains difficult to evaluate.

The major reason why evidence of pre-Columbian contact would be denied is that it conflicts with the comfortable, standard middle-American myth about the history of America: that before Columbus the Americas were inhabited only by primitive or at least uncivilized native Americans; that Columbus began the process of bringing the benefits of European civilization to the New World; and that the first Africans in the New World were brought here as slaves. There are serious problems with all of these assumptions.

First, there were advanced civilizations, possessing a written literature, sophisticated mathematics, and one of the most accurate calendars ever devised, in America when the first Europeans showed up about 500 years ago, specifically, the Aztec and Inca, with the Mayan culture still surviving in a post-imperial stage. One may suppose that without outside interference, they would

llels, especially when linked together into meaningful symbolic complexes, could have developed independently, especially in two areas known to be linked by a marine conveyor belt. However improbable a single parallel may be, a complex of a dozen elements is not twelve times more improbable, but 212 times. Further influence is indicated by looms found in Peru that are identical in design with looms used in Egypt during the Twentieth dynasty, as are the associated spindle whorls. The lost-wax casting technique that slowly evolved in the ancient Mediterranean suddenly appears full-blown in chronologically parallel archaeological strata in Mexico and Peru. Trepanning using identical techniques appears in Egypt, Nubia, Mexico, and Peru, and a building technique called "fitted megalithic masonry" appears in Egypt and Peru; the latter involves identical quarrying and construction techniques. Van Sertima argues further that the Mexican calendar, which already existed, was reformed on February 26, 747 B.C.; its New Year day was at that time synchronized with the Egyptian calendar, since in 747 B.C. the beginning of the Egyptian year (the first day of the month dedicated to Thoth) also fell on February 26 (as we now call it). This fa