Columbus Was Last: From 200,000 B.C. to 1492 A Heretical History of Who Was First

273 Pages·1992·5.43 MB·English

by  Patrick Huyghe

Columbus Was
Last
From 200,000 B.C. to 1492
A Heretical History of Who Was First
“INDISPENSABLE HISTORY”
“HIGHLY RECOMMENDED”
“PROVOCATIVE”
Patrick Huyghe
COLUMBUS WAS LAST
COLUMBUS WAS LAST
From 200,000 B.C. to 1492
A Heretical History of Who Was First
PATRICK HUYGHE
San Antonio • New York
Columbus Was Last
Copyright © 1992 by Patrick Huyghe
ISBN: 1-933665017
Originally published by Hyperion in 1992.
Cover image by Robert Bredvad
Cover design by Ansen Seale
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce
this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
For information, go to anomalistbooks.com or write to:
Anomalist Books Anomalist Books
5150 Broadway #108 PO Box 577
San Antonio, TX 78209 Jefferson Valley, NY 10535
To Carolyn and Alexandra,
my two firsts,
for their patience
while I roamed
the dark corridors
of America’s past
No one can take from us the joy of first becoming aware of
something, the so-called discovery. But if we also demand the
honor, it can be utterly spoiled for us, for we are usually not
the first.
—Goethe
History embraces a small part of reality.
—La Rochefoucauld
Contents
PROLOGUE 1
1
FIRST AMERICANS 10
2
THE POTTERY CONNECTION 28
3
ANCIENT WORLD SURVEY 36
4
A SEA CHANGE 46
vii
viii Contents
5
A COPPER TRADE 57
6
AMERICAN GRAFFITI 65
7
PACIFIC WAVE 82
8
THINGS ROMAN 95
9
THE GREAT REGATTA 102
10
LAND OF FU-SANG 113
11
AN IRISH ODYSSEY 129
12
VINLAND AND MORE 144
Contents ix
13
THE BASTARD PRINCE 169
14
BLACK HERITAGE 182
15
TRINITY SUNDAY 193
16
PHOTO FINISHES 200
17
COLUMBUS WAS LAST 206
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 227
BIBLIOGRAPHY 234
INDEX 251
Prologue
Ten years ago, a little squabble took place where big squabbles
are the order of the day. It began routinely, as such things do,
during a meeting of that august, well-meaning, though often in-
effective body known as the General Assembly of the United Na-
tions. It was with all good intentions that in the middle of the
afternoon on November 29 the representative from Ecuador, Miguel
Albornoz, introduced a cheery little draft resolution asking all mem-
bers of the United Nations to join in commemorating the upcoming
quincentenary of the discovery of America.
It was time, said Albornoz, for the world body to start thinking
about the 500th anniversary of the arrival in America of those three
Spanish caravels under the command of “the visionary and deter-
mined Admiral of the High Seas Christopher Columbus.” This great
historical event was no mere “discovery” but “a new stage in the
history of the world.” Yes, Albornoz admitted, there had been other
explorers, and he mentioned a “visit” to North America by “the
brave Vikings,” as well as “the mythical voyage” of St. Brendan.
But the highest honors he reserved for the Columbus voyage, which
had such “tremendous consequences for humanity.”
After such a laudable start, it’s unfortunate that Albornoz then
lapsed into a string of contradictions and errors. He praised Co-
lumbus for being an “extraordinary navigator with wide experience
in cartography and the maritime skills,” but then admitted that
Columbus never knew where he had been. Columbus always
1