They Came Before Columbus The African Presence in Ancient America

330 Pages·2003·45.03 MB·English

by  Ivan Van Sertima

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GOLUMBUS

THE AFRICAN PRESENCE
IN ANCIENT AMERICA
"FASCINATING." ~The Adanic Mowhle
TAN IMMENSELY IMPRESSIVE BOOK

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

{Na VaN SERTIMA’ pioncering work nlinguistics and nthro-
logy has appeared in numerous anthologies and journals. He
15 regular contributor tothe Inter-American Review, his pub
lished a collection of poems, critical esavs and a Sih Dic
tionary of Legal Tras, and has written on the subject of the
African presence in Pre-Columbian America for The New York
Times. Professor Van Sertina teaches at Rutgers Univer
IVAN VAN SERTIMA

THEY CAME BEFORE
COLUMBUS

THE AFRICAN PRESENCE
IN ANCIENT AMERICA

NOON HOLE TRICE PAPEREACS NW YCRK
2003 Rao Howe Te Perc Bi

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PHOLOGREDITS

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS,

“The author wishes to mae special auton of his dbx to the
Following

Professor Jan Carew, for introducing me i ag76 to the Leo
Wiener tniog, thereby iuitating my researches into p=
Columbian Affiem presences inthe Americ

Ms, Klizabeth Farrah, for hor assitance inthe collection of
fundies of references, paeticalely those ypon which dhe
ccanageaphic al botanical scctions ofthis work ar base

Ms. Mary Falk Horst. for translation o lagesetions of les
Canvets Lee Bere ew Amérique fom the Vile enoy of this
rosrunaaable work,

Ns. Llarrict Lehmann, for truslation of Spanish docu en
pautecularly Gonzalo Aguirre Beltans “La Ethaobistora yl Fs
fio del Negio en Mexico.”

Ms. Barbara Paso, for er research anes the black Aftican
presence in the mural navies ofthe Hamessids,

Ms, Jeanne Mone; for axquaiting me with the African pres
ence i Irish pre-Christian history,

Profesor Kaward Soabe, whose encouragement and eompar
tionship often sustained me during the preparation of his otk
CONTENTS

Intodusion
Avior’ Note
1. The Secret Route from Guinea

2. The Visible Witness

2: The Mariner Prince of Mal

4 Altes Aeros the Sea

5 Among the Quetraloatls

6. Mandingo Traders in Medial Mexico

7 Black Afsiea and Faype

5. The Black Kings of he Twenty-Fith Dynasty
49. Mfrican- Egyptian Presences in Ancient Americ
1. Plants and Transplants

2. Swroking, Tabacoo and

"pes in Aba andl America
2. The Mystery of Miclan-pi

Postsep: on Other Finds

Index