Re: maize in ancient india: strong transpacific links are indicated
Peter van Rossum (pmv100@psu.edu)
Fri, 27 Dec 1996 00:03:43 GMT
In article <59ua4m$na4@news1.io.org> yuku@io.org (Yuri Kuchinsky) writes:
>Nevertheless, up to now, I've not been able to identify a real
>"Smoking Gun". Such real "Smoking Gun" would need to be something
>preferably not too complex to evaluate that, if considered by an
>impartial observer, will _leave no doubt_ in the mind of the
>observer that these ancient transoceanic contacts _existed for
>sure_. But now, it seems, I have it! What a moment...
This ones going down in flames real fast my man. You were on much
better ground with the Sweet Potato since at least archaeologists
have reported finding Precolumbian Sweet Potato remains from
Polynesian islands.
This maize "smoking gun" is on the exact same level as the Pompeii
"pineapple."
>[I am grateful to my netpal Kerry A. Shirts <shirtale@srv.net> for
>pointing me towards this research. He seems to have been keeping up with
>this sort of material for some time, and had accumulated much data about
>it.]
>
>Carl L. Johannessen and Anne Z. Parker, MAIZE EARS SCULPTURED IN
>12TH AND 13TH CENTURY A.D. INDIA AS INDICATORS OF PRE-COLUMBIAN
>DIFFUSION, in Economic Botany, 1989, 43 (2): 164-180.
>
>Yuri.
Maybe we should also take a look at:
Payak, M.M., and Sachan, J.K.S.
1993 "Maize Ears Not Sculpted in 13th Century Somnathpur
Temple in India." Economic botany. APR 01 1993, vol. 47
no. 2, P. 202-
I'm afraid I don't have it handy where I am and won't get it until
Mon/Tue but if I remember correctly they argue that the sculptures
represent some other plant - not maize. This is just like those
who say the Pompeii "pineapple" is really a pomegranite.
Hasta la vista to another "smoking gun." Unless of course you've got
someone who's found actual corn remains - but I'm confident you don't.
Peter van Rossum
PMV100@PSU.EDU
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