More Proof that the Chinese Discovered America?

It was a busy Monday for me as I had to rush my report to submit to my supervisor. My report was actually almost complete, but the majority of my time was taken up by the tedious (and personally my most hated part of report writing) process of formatting the report and doing up the contents page. Well, I'm glad that's over. Now, barring any major changes my sup may suggest, all I have to do is to touch up the report, correct any grammatical/spelling errors and see what else can be improved. :) Hopefully I can find a free colour printer in my office too, that'd be just perfect!

Back to the topic. A few months back during the Chinese New Year, I posted an article about a theory that China discovered America back in 1421 before Columbus. If you can't remember click here for a quick refresher. This controversial theory has ruffled quite a few feathers among historians, however, there are still many supporters of this theory, and it seems more and more evidence is coming up to prove that this theory is correct.

This time the evidence comes in the form of maps. Very old maps - supposedly 4200 years old. These maps depict a land with "giant redwood trees, the Grand Canyon and show America as a land 3,300 miles wide." Not only that, they supposedly are world maps that show Africa and Australia as well. So if these maps are real, and can be proven to belong to the Chinese, then the theory might become fact, and the whole world would have to change the history text books.

According to one of the owners of the maps, Ms Charlotte Harris Rees, the maps "have been in the office of Dr. John Hebert, chief of geography and maps at the library (of Congress), for the last two years". However, the weird thing here is that the director for collections and services for the library said "she was unaware of any such maps in its posession." And the spokeswoman for the library said that "the Harris' maps have not been authenticated by the library."

Is this a sign of an impending cover-up? Or is it just a case of miscommunication? Whatever it is, personally I think it would truely be great to find out the truth behind this mystery. To find out whether the Chinese (or even someone else) did indeed discover America long before Columbus, or is the theory just an elaborate fairy tale...

ADELANTO -- For more than a decade, seven fragile map books sat under Hendon Harris' bed battling dust and darkness.

Two years ago they were exhumed and could possibly prove the Chinese discovered the American land mass 4,200 years ago.

"These maps were under my bed for 10-plus years, because we really didn't know what we had," said Hendon Harris, an Adelanto developer who owns several apartment buildings and is a prime sponsor of the Adelanto Boys and Girls Club. He's also building a strip of stores off Bellflower Street and Bartlett Avenue.

Click here for the full article.