SC - Peanuts-possibly OOP

[Daniel Phelps]

Ok good gentles, answer me this if you will, if the reports of cocaine found
in Egyptian mummies are to be believed and they also traded with South
America why didn't the Egyptians have boiled peanuts, corn bread, taters,
real honest to god chili, and grits.  Come to think of it turkeys and at
least one armadillo, I have the documentation for both, made the passage to
Europe in the 16th century so why not an earlier date for them too?  If
Hansen's disease is indeed old world then maybe that's how armadillos became
leprous?:-)

I am presently trying to picture what the hieroglyphic for an armadillo
would look like, but all I can see in my mind's eye is a dead one by the
side of the road with his feet in the air clutching a long neck.

Seriously if we are going to discuss pre-Columbian trade between the old and
new worlds we need come up with some explainations regarding the lack of
resistence in the population of the new world, to some very common Old World
diseases.  Chance early exposures to such diseases in the 16th century are
reported to have decimated the indigenous populations in various locations
well up into the 19th century.
- -----Original Message-----
From: Shari Burnham <pndarvis at execpc.com>
To: sca-cooks at Ansteorra.ORG <sca-cooks at Ansteorra.ORG>
Date: Monday, February 01, 1999 5:37 PM
Subject: Re: SC - Peanuts-possibly OOP


>
>
>LrdRas at aol.com wrote:
>
>> Does not the archeological finds of anchor stones from Chinese junkets
off the
>> the west coast of the states make an equally valid observation that
peanuts
>> MAY have been introduced  to the New World by Chinese traders during
pre-
>> Columbian times?
>
>Hmm.  Since it is a plausible theory that some trading might have gone on
between
>China and new world, maybe not directly but more through islands?  I am
thinking
>that the route between say, China and Mexico/latin america area is far,
maybe too
>far for period chinese ships to travel?(I don't know alot about style or
seafaring
>chinese vessels at this time) would it be easier to assume that perhaps a
larger
>group of new world-like Aztec, mayan, pacific coast indians- maybe trade
with
>smaller islands, with products working their ways up through southeast
asia, or
>even via northern regions like Alaska-japan-korea?  I remember in my North
>American archeology class that the Aztecs and Mayans were really vast
traders,
>having items from as far away as the northern tips of arctic circle and all
>through southern tips of South America.  But, I have a question- did
peanuts come
>from china to new world, or from elsewhere to china, or elsewhere to new
world?
>Just because it was traded, may not have been a popular item, just unique.
>Remember when history books talked about Thomas Jefferson transplanting
certain
>plants to France, and they were like "how quaint" and wouldn't eat them?
things
>like corn, and sweet potatos.  could be same theory-"oh how interesting
plant,
>came from where?"  but not sufficient quantities to enter into regional
cooking?
>
>> There is also evidence, IIANM, that a form of miniature corn forund in
China
>> predated Columbus as well as the possibility that certain capsicum
varieties
>> also existed in China pre-Columbian. Thgis is not to say that they are
native
>> of China necessarily but the possibility exists. that these plants were
>> introduced by the Chi8nese through trade with early American Indian
cultures.
>> Thoughts?
>>
>> Ras
>>
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