Prehistoric Trade Routes?

[Stanley Edwards]

Anyone know any good books/websites/general theories about prehistoric trade routes between Europe and America (North and South)?

I've been researching a lot about Spanish history recently and keep coming across evidence for pre-Columbus links between Spain and South America, particularly Peru. One example is reports that a tribal leader in Peru understood some of the conquistadors speaking Basque. Fascinating stuff given that no-one really knows where Basque originated.

I was talking to someone from Galicia last night who mentioned that an historian has come up with theories about trade routes between Northern Spain, Ireland and America long before the conquest. Also, someone mentioned a network of caves going from North to South America with very early Celtic art that some people think marked a trade route. Can't find anything on the web of any relevance yet.

Researching out of simple curiosity really. I really like the idea that creative thought has been around for 30,000 years and so much of history is lost. May lead to a bit of an experimental art journey.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

I was talking to someone from Galicia last night who mentioned that an historian has come up with theories about trade routes between Northern Spain, Ireland and America long before the conquest.

oh i think i have that somewhre


though it was metioning spain and north africa with ireland... but i dunno about americas

 

[Stanley Edwards]

oh i think i have that somewhre


though it was metioning spain and north africa with ireland... but i dunno about americas

It's the transatlantic bit that I'm specifically interested in. Wonder how long a prehistoric floater would take to reach the shores of America if they just drifted from the Iberian peninsular

You have to guess that man has been using crude boats for 30,000 years. Makes sense that some actually took enough supplies to get across the Atlantic and maybe even return to Europe many years later.

 

[Dillinger4]

There is much talk of the Basque Whalers discovering America before Columbus, and keeping their fishing grounds secret.

In fact Columbus crewed his ships with many Basques as they were experianced sailors.

If you are interested in that part alone, Mark Kurlanskys 'A Basque History of the World' is brilliant. He goes into a lot more depth about it.

 

[Stanley Edwards]

...

If you are interested in that part alone, Mark Kurlanskys 'A Basque History of the World' is brilliant. He goes into a lot more depth about it.

Excellent. Cheers

 

[Dillinger4]

There is also much evidence of fishing on the Grand Banks in North America pre Columbus - Fishermen were notorious for keeping their best fishing grounds secret.

PS - If you are interested in anything Basque, I am writing my dissertation on them.

 

[Dillinger4]

The Basque Language is considered to be an isolate - one of the only remaining pre indo-european languages to exist.

It was similar to the language spoken in Aquitaine before it died out.

 

[Dillinger4]

You should never let anybody start talking about their research.



*stops derailing your thread*

 

[Stanley Edwards]

...

PS - If you are interested in anything Basque, I am writing my dissertation on them.

I would be interested to read it. So, would many Basque friends here in Granada. They're a very proud bunch - I'm sure they'd let you know about any mistakes you make

 

[Dillinger4]

I would be interested to read it. So, would many Basque friends here in Granada. They're a very proud bunch - I'm sure they'd let you know about any mistakes you make

Yeh I can imagine.



And If I showed to a few different Basques, they would find a mistake in almost every part.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

well there is very good evidence of peoples from modern southern france making in to the americas by boating along the glacier edge in the atlantic before the main thrust of people across the land bridge

 

[ViolentPanda]

Thor Heyerdahl's book "The Ra Expeditions" go into quite a bit of detail about his theories (backed up by his Atlantic crossings via the Northern Equatorial current that starts off the coast of Guinea) that there were regular contacts between North Africa (especially dynastic Egypt), the native cultures of the Canaries (which are halfway between southern Spain and Guinea) and central and South America.

Howard Reid's "In Search of the Immortals" uses the Northern Equatorial current as a stepping-off point for examining how prehistoric Egyptian, South American and Canaries cultures all used mummification as a post-mortem ritual for preserving the dead, and posits a prehistoric trade route as the reason why cocaine and tobacco residues have been found in mummified Egyptian and Canarian tissue.

 

[jonH]

Thor Heyerdahl's book "The Ra Expeditions" go into quite a bit of detail about his theories (backed up by his Atlantic crossings via the Humboldt current) that there were regular contacts between North Africa (especially dynastic Egypt), the native cultures of the Canaries and central and South America.

Howard Reid's "In Search of the Immortals" uses the Humboldt current as a stepping-off point for examining how prehistoric Egyptian, South American and Canaries cultures all used mummification as a post-mortem ritual for preserving the dead, and posits a prehistoric trade route as the reason why cocaine and tobacco residues have been found in mummified Egyptian and Canarian tissue.

weren't he the one who reckoned Tiki and Hotu Matua were "Aryans" bit of a dubious character me thinks