[Sca-cooks] 1421 was Medieval and/or Middle EasternRecipies containingTomatoes

[Terry Decker]

The book is interesting, but the conclusions are overstated based on the 
evidence.  Especially as Menzies ignores other possible explanations in 
favor of his particular hobbyhorse.  I found Charles Hapgood's theories 
(Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings) far more interesting.

The only reference to tomatoes is to their being found on Easter Island. 
Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki expedition could explain this, but the current 
opinion is, given the quality of Polynesian seamanship, there was trade 
between South America and Polynesia.  It might also explain Asian chickens 
in the Americas.  Menzies totally ignores all of this.

Menzies also totally ignores the circumnavigation of Africa between 605 and 
595 BCE under the orders of the Pharaoh Wehimbre Mecho, Hanno's exploration 
of the African coast in the 6th Century BCE, the 2nd Century BCE voyage of 
Hippalus that opened the spice markets of India to Rome, the Periplus of the 
Erythean Sea and the voyages of the Arabian traders that might have provided 
information and charts for the European mapmakers.  Only the Chinese could 
do this.

The primary source Menzies uses to place maize in Asia is Pigfetta on 
Magellan's voyage around the world.  Pigfetta is the genius who described 
the banana as a type of fig, despite the fact that the Portuguese were well 
aware of bananas and that the first bananas were introduced into the New 
World by the Spanish two years before Pigfetta's "discovery."  Anyway, 
Pigfetta describes what he saw in the Phillipines as "millet" and it is very 
possible that when he uses the term "Indian corn" he is referring to the 
large millet found on the Indian sub-continent rather than maize.  One needs 
to remember tha Pigfetta is writing only 27 years after Columbus's first 
voyage and he isn't really accurate in some of his observations.

I would also be very cautious about the querns.  Querns like the metate are 
fairly ubiquitous in human culture and they are often very similar in a case 
of form following function.  Using this line of reasoning, I think I could 
prove that the Neolithic Swiss influenced the design of Chinese querns.

According to Menzies, it was the "first" appearance of Santanazes and 
Antilia on the (Zuane) Pizzagano Map of 1424 that triggered his thesis of 
the circumnavigation and exploration of the globe by great Chinese treasure 
fleets.  That from this simple fact it was obvious that the information 
could have only come from the Chinese.  Unfortunately for his thesis, the 
first use of Santanazes and Antilia on a map is on the (Fransisco and 
Domenico) Pizzigani Map of 1367.  1367 predates all of the voyages of the 
great Chinese treasure fleets.  Given the fact that all three men have the 
Pizzagano surname, I suspect that they are related and that Zuane Pizzagano 
copied Santanazes and Antilia from an earlier Pizzagano chart.

Enjoy the book, I did.  Just don't take Menzies Sino-centric view of history 
too seriously.

Bear


> Interestingly enough, I'm currently reading a book about the Chinese 
> voyages possibly to and around the New World...during the 15th century. 
> It's by Gavin Menzies, and is quite fascinating...and quite logical in its 
> conclusions.
>
> I mention it here because it indicates that many new world plants were 
> brought to China by these voyages...and vice versa.  I don't recollect, 
> off the top of my head, any reference to tomatoes, specifically.  Most of 
> the references were to maize...and the grinding stones used to turn corn 
> into flour...as well as peppers, etc....and how these have been found in 
> the holds of ships that seem to date to this period.  It also discusses 
> how Chinese things made their way to the New World...things like the 
> variety of chicken...which did not exist in Europe at the time...and, 
> according to the book, could only have come from China.
>
> I'm going to check the book tonight...I did bring it with me on my trip to 
> NYC...and see if there is any mention of tomatoes.
>
> Kiri