China Discovers America?!?

So I go into a local bookstore just seeing if anything catches my eye. Nothing at first, but then I go to the History Section and see this www.amazon.com...=1068533956/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/104-3478032-6054355?v=glance&n=507846

It's a book called 1421: The Year China Discovered America
by Gavin Menzies. Basically it's about how China made trips to America in the early 1400s as well as discovering places like Antarctica and desalinizing water. I had never heard anything about that before in my life. I mean, China discovering America? But something like that really catches your eye.

Sadly, I didn't get to buy the book as I didn't have $20, but I just found it very interesting to say the least. Has anyone ever heard about this? I saw one post total that dealt with this book/theory and no one responded to it. Does anyone happen to know anything about this? I'm in the process of searching the internet for any info on the theory, and eventually I'll go buy the book and read it.

So far I've found these sites which may give anyone interested some more info.
www.cnn.com... Link to cnn from January of this year. Goes into a bit of detail about the book and the author. Also talks about the reaction to the book both good and bad. Not bad.
www.1421.tv... More or less and official site for the book. Outlines the evidence and goes into some detail on some subjects. Shows a few maps with a bit of info on those. Looks to be pretty informative!
www.salon.com..." target="_blank" class="postlink" rel="nofollow"> www.salon.com... Somewhat negative review, but gives more info about it nonetheless...

So what do you all think? I think it's possible. To me and I would think a lot of the Western world, China is off in their own world. It seems as if for the most part we tend to focus on Europe and ourselves for the answers to everything. I remember in my freshman year of high school we had to take world history. Basically what they emphasized was Mesopotamia, Egypt, Rome and Greece, and England. To sum it up, everything came from those areas, and granted a lot did. But what if since we have such a focus on those places we just believe pretty much anything they claim. Yes, Europeans did come to America in the late 1400s, but the possibility that China might have discovered America earlier is ruled out just because the Chinese having more of an impact on our history just doesn't sound right. Maybe it's a long shot, but I dunno... Anyone??

Another very good link : Click

There's evidence to prove that Australia used to be inhabited by Egyptians. A pyramid has been found, as well as hyroglyphics and other artifacts. Even an Egyptian boat with a bag of Gold Egyptian coins was found preserved in mud somewhere.

I have also read that the Vikings also ventured to North America. If you do a search for "out of place ancient artifacts", you'll see the strangest things found in America: Roman coins, a clay tablet written in ancient hebrew, found in New Jersey; Nordic Runes in Minnesota, and so on.

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Cool, thanks for the info guys. I'm definitely going to look into all this. This subject is fascinating.

There's evidence to prove that Australia used to be inhabited by Egyptians. A pyramid has been found, as well as hyroglyphics and other artifacts. Even an Egyptian boat with a bag of Gold Egyptian coins was found preserved in mud somewhere.

Where did you get your info Aztec?
I have never heard of this theory
and I watch a lot of documentary's.
Please explain!!!!!

The info about the gold coins and boat was told to me by a man who said he has the newspaper clipping that detailed the finding. I also heard it mentioned over the media at one time, this was years ago.

The pyramid is near Gympie in Queensland and a lot has been mentioned about it. I met an old farmer who grew up next to it and he was the first one I heard mention it.

The hyroglyphics have been documented and were on the tube a year or so ago.

I will try to find some links about it all.

www.touregypt.net...

www.crystalinks.com...

members.ozemail.com.au...

www.pyramids.co.nz...

This really is an interesting subject. Considering that some theories say that most continents were joined together, a really really long time ago, if it is true, than it would be possible to find stuff almost anywhere on the planet.

On the other hand, I really don't think the European were the first to visit America, they were just the first to claim it as their new land.

[Edited on 13-11-2003 by m0rbid]

On the Chinese subject, there have also been rumors they were here late in the fifth century. I think the explorer's name was Ho-Shin. (sp?) Another interesting note is there has a been a multitude of evidence suggesting a prince Madoc of Wales was here in 561. DNA, burial, carbon-dating, the list goes on and on. If anyone shows any interest, I'll go dig some hard facts up.

Originally posted by m0rbid
This really is an interesting subject. Considering that some theories say that most continents were joined together, a really really long time ago, if it is true, than it would be possible to find stuff almost anywhere on the planet.
[Edited on 13-11-2003 by m0rbid]

Egyptians would have had to be around a lot longer than six thousand years ago to have taken advantage of Pangea in their construction of the australian pyramid. And basically all respected theories on Continental Drift say that the continents were and will be joined together. It is scientifical suicide to deny that panagea existed. Not saying that it did, just that you would get your PhD laughed away if you came out and said that Continental Drift does not happen. Funny how times change.

Anyway, I believe that many cultures, long before the chinese or spanish did, had made trips to America. Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Phoenicians and more are claimed to have made the journey across the Atlantic. Clive Cussler devotes an entire book to this idea, called Valhalla Rising.