They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America

330 Pages·1976·21.23 MB·English

by  Ivan Van Sertima

THEY GAME
Before

GOLUMBUS

THE AFRICAN PRESENCE
IN ANCIENT AMERICA
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

{NAN Vaw Sema’ pioncering workin linguistics and antheo
pology has appeared in numerous anthologies ad journals. He
isa regular contbutor tothe Inter-American Review. has pub
lIshed a collection of poems, critica esiys end a Stahl Dic
tionary of Legal Terns. and hus writen om the subject of the
African presence in Pre-Calumblan Amer for The New York
Tines: Professor Van Sorina aches st Rutgers University
IVAN VAN SERTIMA

THEY CAME BEFORE
COLUMBUS

THE AFRICAN PRESENCE
IN ANCIENT AMERICA,
9 do Hons Tas Paper Bd

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PHOTO CREDITS

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‘ACKNOWLEDGMENTS,

“The author wishes to make special snention of his debt to the
folloning

Professor Jan Carew: for inteducing we is agra to the Leo
Wienee ting thereby iittiag my researches into pre
Coluubian Alri presences in the Americ

Ms. Elizabeth Farm, for hor aesstinge in the election of

Innes of references, partouliy awe pon which the
oceanographic al hota sections ofthis werk ane hasoe.,

Ms. Mary Falk Hla, for translation of lane seetions of Jules
Canvee's Lee Bervves en Amérique fom the Yale copy of this
ow-unavalable work,

Ms. Lari Lehmann, for tausltion of Spanish docunents,
parieularly Genzalo Aguirre Beltrans “La EMamistriayel Fs
tdi del Negro en Mesin

Ms. Barbara Duzom, fore reseaich nots on the black Abean
presence inthe mula wicios ofthe Ramssds

Ms. Jeanne Mooney, for axjuistng me with she Afican prose
ence it ish pre-Christian history:

Professor Edward Scab, whose encuuragement ard carp
Aonship often sustained me dhnng the preparaten of this work,
CONTENTS

Introduction
Authors Note

1. The Secret Route fain Guinea

2. The Viable Witnesses

The Mariner Praice of Mal

4 Alcan Acts the Sea

5 Amoag the Quetzleatls

6, Mandingo Trlers in Medal Mexico

7 Black Affca and Faypt

8. The Black Kings ofthe Twenty-Ffth Dynasty

69. Affcan-Figpian Pretences in Anciont Amer

10 Pants and Transplants

11. Smoking, Tobacco and Pipes in Africa and America
1 The Mystery of Meclan-p

Posen on Otter Finds