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Ollantiatambo, Peru.SacsayhuamanChichen Itza, MexicoMachu Pichu.Teotihuacan. Mexico

 

Pre-Columbian America.

It has been said that 'American history begins with Columbus'. (1)

This page explores the evidence for pre-Columbian activity in the American continent.

 

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Featured Items.

 

The Mound Builders.

USA has more than 100,000 artificial mounds between the great lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. (12).

In 1838, the first authenticated Phoenician inscription was excavated from a burial chamber found at the base of Mammoth Mound, in Moundsville, West Virginia. The similarity to Iberian Writing was recognised, and the contents of the mound were attributed to European visitors. The mounds of the eastern and central America have timber chambers rather than stone, but they contain similar archaeological remains to those found in Iberia. (1)

American sites have yielded considerable numbers of copper tablets shaped like the hide of an animal; and they were named 'reels'. In 1896, in Cyprus, and subsequently in many Mediterranean excavations, corresponding 'Bronze Age' copper objects, recognised now as ingots used in international currency, have been found. The American examples indicate an international trading system existed. (1)

(More on this subject soon)

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'Model Aircraft'.

It is perhaps just another one of life's curious coincidences that these small aerodynamically sound 'models' have been found in both South America and Egypt. Whatever the kismet, they provide good food for thought.

 

Egyptian 'model' (left), S. American 'models' (centre, right).

This particular 'model' is on display in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. Its explanation states: “gold artefact, a stylised insect, from the Quimbaya culture, Antioquia province, Columbia, ca. 1000-1500 AD.”

(Click here for other examples of prehistoric flight)

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Old-World scripts in the Americas.

Barry Fell, in his book 'America BC', presents us with numerous examples of ancient 'scripts' found across the Americas. They include Iberian 'Punic', Libyan, Basque, Norse, Egyptian, Phoenician and Ogam, all of which are traditionally found in the context with the 'Old World'. Convincingly, many of these scripts were dated, according to their dialects, to within the range of years 800BC - 300BC (1).

Any resistance to the idea that America was colonised before Columbus, is countered by the weight of physical evidence provided by Fell. The picture he builds suggests that about 3,000 years ago bands of mariners crossed the North Atlantic and colonised North America. They built temples and circles and buried their dead in marked graves. They were still there in the time of Julius Caesar, as is attested by an inscribed monolith on which the date of celebration of the great Celtic festival of Beltane (Mayday) is given in Roman numerals appropriate to the reformed Julian calendar introduced in 46 BC. In the wake of these 'Celtic' pioneers came Phoenician traders from Cadiz, Egyptian miners, Basques Libyans and Norse. Each leaving a few engraved stones to mark their visits. (1)

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 An African presence in Pre-Columbian America...

 

There have been several previous attempts to prove the 'fusion' of African and native Pre-Columbian American races. The Evidence ranges from Linguistics, Plant Geography, Skeletons, Terracotta figures and even North African 'Tifinag' inscriptions on the Virgin Islands (3). However, nowhere is the evidence for this argument stronger than at La-Venta, where several large stone heads have been discovered that clearly display Negroid (and Asian), features.

The huge proportions of the heads suggests that they were important people, and their association with the Olmec culture at around (800-600 B.C.) places them long before the Maya, Inca or Columbus's arrival in America. Van Sertima concluded that these people originated from Egypt and the middle-east.

(Click here for more on this subject)

 
 

The Pyramid Builders.

In 1964, aerial photography identified nearly 1,000 pyramid sites in Peru (4)

The existence of pyramids in the Americas would at first glance, appear to be a significant proof of contact between people from the 'Old' and 'New' worlds. However, there are still people who reasonably maintain that their similarity in shape proves nothing.

 Whether through accident or design, it is a fact that the 'Pyramid of the Sun' at Teotihuacan has the same base dimensions and is half the height of the 'Great' pyramid at Ghiza.

 

  

The layout of the two great pyramid complexes have also been compared.

(More about pyramid geometry)

We know without question that the Egyptian pyramids came first, and by a few thousands years, so there is no suggestion of contact between the pyramid builders themselves. However, it is undeniable that the theme of pyramid building occurred around the world, and not just in Egypt. In fact, it is seen in Egypt, the middle east, the far east, on the Pacific Isles, in the Americas, and even in Europe.

The step pyramid at Chitchen Itza (Note the snake on the left hand stairwell)

Further similarities become apparent when we look at the similarities of 'function' between pyramids from the two cultures. We know for example that there was an astronomical association in both cultures. Van Sertima notes that 'When pyramids appear in America in the Olmec culture they are orientated astronomically' (3). Of course, the fact that the Babylonian ziggurats and Egyptian pyramid were also built by 'Solar' worshippers is just one of the many other cross-cultural similarities that can be seen.

 

 

The Mayan pyramid of Palenque, within which the tomb of King Pakal was discovered in 1952.

The famous cover to the tomb of Pakal. Palenque.

(Pyramids from around the world)

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Megalithic Americans.

The following pictures are from San Augustin, in Peru:

This design of this chambered passage has a striking similarity to European megaliths.

  • The largest dolmen in North America has a capstone estimated to weigh 90-tons.

(More on this subject soon)

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'Monarchic' similarities between the 'Old' world and the 'New' cultures.

There have been several attempts to connect the old and new world through apparently unrelated similarities. The following are a selection of rituals involved religion or monarchy, which have counterparts in both the old-world cultures and the 'new-world'.

The following list also comes from Van Sertima (3). It illustrates several specific similarities between these two apparently unrelated cultures. Although the evolutionists often quote the 'isolationist' theory to explain these similarities, there are also similarities in mythology, dialogue, religion, etc to warrant further examination

  • The four Bacabs that hold up the sky (3)

  • The opening of the mouth ceremony (3)

  • The Double Crown (3)

  • The Royal Flail (3)

  • The Sacred Boat (3

  • Purple as a royal colour (3)

  • The use of Artificial Beards for priests and Royalty (3). Young men and even women had to wear false beards in Egypt if they were to participate in royal or priestly duties.

  • A Feathered Fan with specific colours (3)

  • Ceremonial Umbrellas (3)

  • Human headed bird figures emerging from tombs (3). The theme of 'human-headed' bird figures is repeated in several middle-eastern cultures, not least, the Egyptians, Mesopotamians and before them, the 'Metsamorian' culture from Turkey, the roots of which have been shown to trace back to 9,500 BC.

(click here for more)

(For a fuller list see Jairazbhoy).

  • Hand-Shaped Incense Spoons. -

 The following two photos (left and right), are from Denderra, Egypt, which is Perhaps what Van Sertima (3) is alluding to... although, and I daresay its all in the eye of the beholder .. but it looks as though the contents of these 'incense burners' are being inhaled.

More 'burnt offering' from Abydoss.

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An Australian presence in Pre-Columbian America.

There is a physical similarity between the 'La-Jollans' of Southern California, who also used the spear thrower, had initiation ceremonies for boys, women excluded, warned away by the twirling of a 'Bull-roarer', and with ground paintings involved. La Jollan artefacts are virtually indistinguishable from those of the Kartan culture of Australia. (3)

A Genetic link has been determined between the Aborigines of Australia and the 'Fuegian' from 'Tierra-Del-Fuego' in Southern-most America. This suggests a connection at least 30,000 years old.

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The Mystery of the Cocaine Mummies.

The 21st dynasty Pharaohs were mummified, and the body of Queen Henut Taui lay placed in the depths of a desert tomb in the belief it would give her immortality. Her mummified body waited throughout recorded history - the Greeks and Romans, the Dark and Middle ages, the Renaissance and Napoleon, until in the early 19th century, her tomb was plundered.

The king of Bavaria bought the ornate sarcophagus with the mummy inside. He gave it to a museum in Munich, where for another century, Henut Taui lay undisturbed. Then four years ago a German scientist, Dr Svetla Balabanova, made a discovery which was to baffle Egyptologists, and call into question whole areas of science and archeology to chemistry and botany.

She discovered that the body of Henut Taui contained large quantities of cocaine and nicotine. The surprise was not just that the ancient Egyptians had taken drugs, but that these drugs come from tobacco and coca, plants completly unknown outside the Americas, unheard of until Sir Walter Raleigh introduced smoking from the New World, or until cocaine was imported in the Victorian era.

(Click here for full transcript of video)

Following this discovery, other experts began testing Mummies and discovered Tobacco for example the substance was found in Mummies from the British Musuem by their keeper Dr.Rosalie David. There was even some found on the bandages of the great Rameses II himself by Dr.Michele Lescaux!

 

Article from the official Ancient Egyptian Bibliography (AEB) published by the University of Leiden.

NERLICH, Andreas G., Franz PARSCHE, Irmgard WIEST, Peter SCHRAMEL and Udo LÖHRS, Extensive pulmonary haemorrhage in an Egyptian mummy, Virchows Archiv. An International Journal of Pathology, Berlin - Heidelberg 427 (1995), 423-429. (ill.).

Report on the morphological and trace element findings of several internal organs from an Egyptian mummy approximately dating from the year 950 B.C. according to C-14-analysis. By use of a multidisciplinary approach the authors succeeded in discovering evidence for severe and presumably recurrent pulmonary bleeding during life. This was suggested by the finding of massive haemosiderin deposits in the lung and a selectively and markedly elevated level of iron in trace element analysis of the lung tissue. Furthermore, an enhanced deposition of birefringent particles in the lung tissue, without significant fibrosis, was observed. The histological analysis of liver, stomach and intestine confirmed the macroscopic organ diagnoses without evidence of any major pathological processes. In addition, analysis for various drugs revealed a significant deposition of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), nicotine and cocaine in several organs of the mummy. The concentration profiles additionally provide evidence for a preferential inhalation of THC, while nicotine and cocaine containing drugs seem to have been consumed orally.

Related articles on this subject.:

 http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Entomology/courses/en570/papers_2000/wells.html

http://www.science-frontiers.com

 

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The Piri-reis map - The first map of the American continent.

Potentially one of the most significant finds in modern time. The Piri-reis map (c. 1513), shows the coastlines of the American continent. It also includes the outline of the Antarctic continent which has been frozen over since around 4,000 BC. This map alters all previous conceptions of our pre-historic ancestors abilities.  The 'Piri-Reis' map (c. 1513). is one of several 'portellano's', which appear to have a geometric basis of unknown provenance. This map has many interesting features, such as:-

The map has  pre-Columbian provenance.

The map shows the coastline of America.

The map shows the Antarctic coastline.

The map shows accurate use of Longitude and Latitude.

The map-builders used 'Spherical geometry'.

The centre of the map is at the junction of the 23.5˚ parallel and the longitude of Alexandria.

The cartographers of the Piri-reis map used a system called the 12-wind system, which was used extensively in the middle ages and has its roots in the Babylonian sciences.

(More about the Piri-reis map)

 

 

 Old World narratives of the Americas.

The 'Atl'-as Mountains - The Andes in South America were called the 'Atl-Andes' by locals when they were first discovered. In America, the word 'Atl' comes from the Nahuatl tongue, and means 'Water', and we know that a city of Atlan, 'Near the Water', still existed on the Atlantic side of the Isthmus of Panama at the time of conquest. (2) The mountains that run through Morocco on the other side of the Atlantic ocean were also called the 'Atlas' mountains, a tradition can be traced back at least as far as the Greeks. (In Greek mythology Atlas supported the world on his shoulder).

  • Plutarch makes mention of the 'Cronian' or 'Saturnian' continent beyond the Atlantic. (2)

  • Diodorus says 'Over against Africa lies a very great island in the vast ocean, many days sail from Libya westward' (Book V, Chap ii). The Phonecians, he said, having built Gades, sailed along the Atlantic coast of Africa when a ship was 'On a sudden, driven by a furious storm far into the main ocean; and that after they had lain under this tempest for many days, they at length arrived at this island'. (2)

  • There is a similar statement to that above in a work attributed to Aristotle (de Mirab. Auscult.), in which the discovery is ascribed to the Carthaginians. (2)

  • Aelian, in his 'Varia Historia' (Book iii, Chap.xviii), tells us that Theopompus related the particulars of an interview between Midas, King of Phrygia, and Silenus, in which Silenus reported the existence of a great continent beyond the Atlantic 'larger than Asia, Europe, and Libya together'. He stated that a race of men, called Meropes were persuaded that their country was a continent. Out of curiosity, some of them crossed the ocean and visited the Hyperboreans. (2)

  • It is now a historical fact that the Norse, sailing from Iceland, not only discovered America in the tenth century, but also established colonies on the coast of New England, and they preserved communication with these colonies for over two centuries. (2)

  • The Abbe de Boubourg says in his introduction to the Popol-Vuh, 'It has been known to scholars nearly a century that the Chinese were aqcquainted with the American continent in the fifth century of our era. Their ships visited it. They called it Fu-Sang, and said it was situates at the disatance of 20,000 li from Ta-Han'. M.Leon de Rosny has ascertained that Fusang is the topic of 'a curious notice in the Wa-kan-san-tan-dzon-ye (which is the name of the great Japanese encyclopedia). In that work Fusang is said to be situated east of Japan, beyond the ocean, at the distance of about 20,000 li (7,000 miles or more) from Ta-nan-kouek. (2)

  • Baldwin in 1869 cites a note from the Abbe Brasseur's translation of the 'Popol-Vuh' in which he said 'There is an abundance off legends and traditions concerning the passage of the Irish into America, and their habitual communication with that continent many centuries before the time of Columbus...An Irish saint, named Vigile, who lived in the eighth century, was accused to Pope Zachary of having taught heresies on the subject of the antipodes. At first he wrote to the pope in reply to the charges, but afterwards he went to Rome in person to justify himself, and there he proved to the pope that the Irish had been in communication with a trans-Atlantic world'. This fact seems to have been preserved in the records of the Vatican. (2)

  • The Basques, being adventurous fishermen, and extensively engaged in the whale fishery, were accustomed to visit the northeast coast of America long before the time of Columbus, and probably "from time immemorial". (See Michael's "Le Pays Basques," and De Bourbourgs introduction). (2)

  • The Welsh annals tell us that the prince Madog, about the year 1170 AD, 'sailed away westward, going south of Ireland', to find refuge from the civil war among his countrymen. We are told that he found the land he sought. Having made preparations for a settlement, he returned to Wales, secured a large company that 'filled ten ships', and then sailed away again, and 'never returned'. In 1660, the Rev. Morgan Jones, a Welsh clergymen, seeking to go by land from South Carolina to Roanoke, was captured by the Tuscarora Indians. He declared that his life was spared because he spoke Welsh, which some of the Indians understood; that he was able to converse with them in Welsh, though with some difficulty; and that he remained with them four months' (2).

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An African presence in America.

 

 

There have been several previous attempts to prove a 'fusion' of African and Pre-Columbian American races. The Evidence ranges from Linguistics, Plant Geography, Skeletons, Terracotta figures and even North African 'Tifinag' inscriptions on the Virgin Islands (3). However, nowhere is the evidence for this argument stronger than at La-Venta, where several large stone heads have been discovered that clearly display Negroid (and Asian), features.

The huge proportions of the heads suggests that they were important people, and their association with the Olmec culture at around (800-600 BC) places them long before the Maya, Inca or Columbus's arrival in America.

 

The first rumours of large stone-heads in Tres Zapotes came from as early as 1858, but it was in 1938 that Dr. Stirling uncovered the first head, which was made from a single piece of basalt rock resting on a prepared foundation of unworked slabs of stone. He said of it that it was:

 '...unique amongst aboriginal American sculptures, it is remarkable for its realistic treatment. The features are bold and it is amazingly negroid in character'. (3)

 

The head was found 10 miles from the source of the stone and a long slab of stone which was found at the same site yielded a precise date of Nov 4th. 291 BC. As digging increased in south America other larger heads and earlier heads were found at sites such as La Venta, which began to reveal a chapter of history in the pre-Columbian Gulf of Mexico that was almost lost to us. The La Venta heads showed several similarities to the Tres Zapotes heads, and it emerged that they dominated the ceremonial plaza, a feature which suggests that they were in some way 'revered'. Four heads were found at La Venta, all of them faced the Atlantic, and the largest at 9ft high had its domed top flattened so that it could function as an altar. A speaking tube was found going in at the ear and out at the mouth; a possible oracle or talking god. Radio carbon dates from the site were published in 1957 and they give an average reading of 814 BC +/- 134 yrs.  These figures were among the oldest at the La Venta site.

La Venta was not alone in its depiction of Negroid faces in stone. Apart from the four found there, two were excavated in Tres Zapotes and a further five at San Lorenzo in Vera Cruz, one of which, the largest known, is nine feet, four inches high, and is estimated to weigh around 40 tons. (3)

(More about La Venta and the African stone-heads)

 

The winged beings with 'Bucket' and 'Cob'.

This winged figure comes from Khorsabad, built by King Sargon II in 704 BC as the 4th capital of the kingdom of Assyria.

(Note the objects in his hands, the wristband and the date - A 'Cob of corn' and a 'bucket')

 

These 'Griffins' are from Nimrud, from the time of  Ashurnasirpal II,  who opened his great city in 879BC.

 They have the same typical stance and are holding the same objects.

(In this frieze the object, or 'cob' appears to be being 'harvested' from what is often called the 'tree of life').

 

Another representation of the same winged figure appears in this Mesopotamian frieze...

(Note: The winged figure appears to be 'presenting' this object to a king)

 

Corn was developed uniquely on the S. American continent.

 

 

This stella is from the Olmec site of La Venta, in S. America.

(Note the 'bucket' being held or 'offered' forward and the head of a 'griffin').

Considering the validation of the theory forwarded by Van Sertima (3) (and others) that the 'Olmec' site of La Venta was governed by Negroid Africans and Middle-eastern Caucasians (between 800-600 BC), there is a strong case for the re-appraise the symbolism behind this particular sculpture.

(More about La Venta)

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 Featured American Sites:

Bolivian sites.

 
Tiahuanaco
Ancient Ceremonial complex next to Lake Titicaca.

Mexican sites.

 (Mexico Homepage)

Chichen Itza

The Calendar pyramid, Observatory.
La Venta Olmec site. (coming soon)
Monte Alban
Mountain-top ceremonial complex.
Teotihuacán
Ceremonial pyramidal complex.

Peruvian Sites.

(Peru Homepage)
Chavin Du Huntaar
Cyclopean complex, network of underground tunnels.
Cuzco. Earth Navel and Inca capital.
Machu Pichu
Cyclopean mountain citadel. Astronomical associations.
Nazca
Large-scale desert 'drawings'.
Ollantaytambo
Cyclopean hilltop fortress.
Sacsayhuaman
Cyclopean citadel near Cuzco.
San Agustin. Megalithic to Inca remains. Possible Necropolis.

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 The 'Rough Guide' to ancient sites from around the world.

References:

1). Barry Fell. America B.C. 1974. Demeter press.
2). John. D. Baldwin. Pre-Historic Nations. 1869. Harper and Brothers.
3). Ivan Van Sertima. African presence in Early America. 1992. Transaction Publishers.
4). D. Zink. The Ancient Stones Speak. 1979. Musson Bok Co.
12). The atlas of mysterious places. 1987.Guild publishing.

 

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