New Zealanders help to date ancient Chinese map
17/1/2006 15:23
A New Zealand laboratory has been given the job of dating an Chinese
ancient map which could revolutionize the views on who discovered New Zealand,
Australia and the Americas, according to a local TV report on Tuesday.
Until
international publicity about the ancient map in the past few days, the radio
carbon-dating unit of New Zealand's Waikato University had no idea how important
the parchment was, said NZTV.
Experts believe the analysis has the potential
to indicate a famous Chinese explorer discovered America before Christopher
Columbus. It would also reinforce theories that the Chinese were the first to
discover Australia and New Zealand.
Steve Behrendt, a historian, said the
theory, which had been around for the past decade or so, was popularized in a
book in 2003 called 1421.
The theory is back in the spotlight again with a
map that supporters say adds weight to the idea that the Chinese discovered
America.
Waikato University is one of the leading laboratories in the world
with radio carbon analysis and a tiny scrap of paper currently being analyzed
has provoked intrigue and controversy as far away as Britain and the United
States.
Gunnar Thompson, a researcher of ancient maps and early explorers,
said if the map was genuine it would revolutionize thinking about 15th century
world history.
Xinhua News
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