Home > Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact
The expression pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact usually refers to possible interactions between the Native American peoples and the cultures of other continents — Europe, Africa, Asia, or Oceania — before the historically recorded European discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. Most archeologists believe that, apart from their original Ice Age migrations across Beringia and the Bering Strait, the native cultures of America developed in complete isolation from the rest of humanity until the voyages of Columbus. They interpret the archaeological record to show in situ, original cultural development through that period, with people interacting across local regions but not with other continents. The sole generally accepted exception are the visits by the Vikings to Newfoundland at the L'Anse aux Meadows site. These are presumably the basis of the Vinland Sagas, but apparently did not have any lasting effect on the native cultures.
The opposite of the "Landbridge Theory", that American cultural development was either derived or affected by trans-oceanic contacts, was widely believed until the early 19th century; today, however, it is only a minority opinion. While some advocates of these diffusionistThe diffusion of ideas or artifacts from one culture to another is a well-attested and uncontroversial concept of cultural anthropology. For example, the practice of agriculture is widely believed to have diffused from somewhere in the Middle East to all theories are compelled by their religious beliefsReligion sometimes used interchangeably with faith, is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the practices and institutions associated with such belief. Borobudur, a Buddhist stupa built between 750 and 850 Adriaen or influenced by ethnocentrismEthnocentrism coined by William Graham Sumner, is the viewpoint that one's ethnic group is the center of everything, against which all other groups are judged. Within culture, language, behaviour, customs, and religion can be a basis for ethnic distinctio, there is a significant minority of scholars who see enough cultural parallels to justify them.
Opponents of the Landbridge Theory argue that this would require that at the height of an ice age that turned enormous areas of water into impassible ice, land bridges would have managed to cut through the ice and allowed for safe passage to the "New World". Instead, they put forward a new theory of ancient boat travel from the other side of the Pacific into South America, and the southern parts of North America. In support of this theory, it is claimed that the earliest human settlements in America were in the south, not the north. Similarities between Asians and Native Americans are also cited in support of the theory.
1 Early proponents
In the 18th century17th century 18th century 19th century more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701- 1800; however, historians will sometimes specifically refer to the 18th Century as 1715- 89, and early 19th century many writers and antiquitarians believed that various Old WorldThe Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans before the voyages of Christopher Columbus: Europe, Asia, and Africa. The term is in distinction for the New World, meaning the Americas. Although the interiors of Asia and Africa were not cultures were responsible for the ancient monuments found in the New WorldThe New World is one of the names used for the continents of North and South America and adjacent islands collectively, in use since the 16th century. The continents were new to the Europeans, who knew the world consisting only of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Part of this was due to ethnocentrismEthnocentrism coined by William Graham Sumner, is the viewpoint that one's ethnic group is the center of everything, against which all other groups are judged. Within culture, language, behaviour, customs, and religion can be a basis for ethnic distinctio, for they did not believe that Native Americans — generally portrayed as uncivilized savages — could be capable of such feats.
