Allan Shumaker Wrote:
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> Bernard,
> Well even if Lee couldn't find anything to whine
> about, I would point out that there were some
> groups making very long voyages at least 5000
> years ago. Bannanas were introduced to Uganda at
> least 5000 years ago . We don't know if they
> sailed directly across the Indian Ocean or hugged
> the coast and eventually reached Africa.
>
> Now I freely admit that this has no bearing on
> preColumbian contact in the Americas, but it does
> indicate that long range sea travel does date back
> much farther than we thought just a few years ago.
>
> "The Stone Age did not end for lack of stone, and
> the Oil Age will end long before the world runs
> out of oil"
>
> -- Sheikh Zaki Yamani
Allan,

I disagree and am working on a good reply, but for now. 1) What you cite has no data more like a press report than a refereed article. De Jonge et al published one about Cameroon 500 BC. It was critiqued by Vansina but they have a good defense. 2) People wave their hands but in reality there is no evidence of long- distance open water boats 5000 BC. People writing about the Nusantao and early East Asian sea trading acknowledge that this could just as well be done by short hops and coastal hugging. Madagascar was not settled until 2000BP. As I pointed out, the Lapita, who would have had the sailing technology we are talking about--- had to wait 2000 years before they could undertake really long open-sea voyages.
Bernard