History Buffs here?

I like some history and some not so much. As far as America being visited - I find the Michigan copper mines extremely interesting. They are 6,000 years old and in absolutely no Indian history. The size of the operation would mean camps - and not one sign of them. At all. They have found ancient tools in a few of the mines. They've also found a few items of native copper on some Islands (it's quite distinctive). Because of the location, there would have been water transport, too - and no sign of that either. These mines and the people who mined them are a complete mystery.

I've watched the shows and they are interesting. Just be sure to read opposing views and criticisms online to get the entire picture.


I enjoy the History Channel when it isn't showing truck drivers, lumber jacks and gator hunters and has shows about history instead.


As far as people coming to the Americas before Columbus, one example is the Polynesians. It's kind of hard to believe they discovered virtually every island in the Pacific, but somehow missed the two Continents of N and S America.


My numbers are probably a little off, but there's also archeological and DNA evidence that the Australian aborigines visited South America something like 40,000(?) years ago.


The Japanese may have visited the West Coast in something like 800 AD(?).


The makers of the Clovis arrowheads may have been of European decent and came to the US during the ice age, when there was a glacier "shoreline" that extended from Europe to the Americans. The could have "easily" followed the glacier shore, getting fresh water from the ice and hunted seals for food. The clovis arrowheads most closely resemble those from Europe and not those found in Asia. And despite the first clovis arrowhead being discovered in Clovis New Mexico, the largest concentration of clovis arrowheads have been found in the Eastern US, I think around the Chesapeake.


We tend to think of oceans as barriers. Deserts and mountains are barriers. Oceans were more like highways for ancient people.

They've discovered artifacts a few places that indicate maritime travel as far back as 65,000 years. They might have found things that push that back, but 65,000 was the last I heard of. It's been awhile since I heard anyone try to push the idea that all the people in the Americas came over the Northern land bridge.

I have started watching that show...watched a few episodes over the past couple weeks. It is interesting. However, it has not yet PROVEN America was visited by those other cultures. I want to point that out. The host is operating (so far as I have viewed) on theory. There is some compelling data but no fact.

I had not heard of the giant copper mining in the Michigan island areas before, for instance. That mining definitely took place in ancient times. But who did it? I do lean towards the idea that our history is glossed-over, falsified and simplified...it's a theory subject to change like most other things. Worthwhile show to watch so far, at any rate.

Thanks, Kurt - I'll watch this. Being raised in MI, this one is particularly interesting to me.

Basically, the fact that there's no mention of the copper at all in any native group's legends is a little puzzling. If they knew the Okanogan boulder was there and talked about it even though it was pretty much secret and sacred, why would no other copper have been mentioned - especially since it would have been something so important to their culture and considering the size of the operation. Makes me wonder if someone was over here before that we don't know about yet and gave them so much trouble over it that they pulled all info about it out of their mainstream info.

Archaeology is a strange science. Every time something is learned, it causes more questions than it answers.

I couldn't find the video for the copper mine show, but the title of the episode is "Great Lakes Copper Heist".

Um...ya might wanna check that link - it's (at least right now) about the origin of a symbol in France.

Whether it's theories or facts, at this point I think the collection of stories/facts/theories/artifacts taking as a whole is compelling persuasion that there was preColumbian activity in North America from European/MiddleEast/Asian explorers.

The fact of Columbus 'discovering' America was probably more like 'official government recognition' of the open secret across the Atlantic.