gilded said:
fronobulax said:
.....I personally think there was contact much earlier than we believe and such contact does not require Alien Abductions to explain. But I don't think the contact was extensive enough to lead to serious trading and the kind of trade infrastructure.....
[Please note: After thinking about it for a day, I have edited the first post extensively, because it was clumsily written and obscured whatever salient points may have been present in my already famously dim style of writing...]
frono, when you mentioned 'serious trading' and 'trade infrastructure', I thought of something that may be somewhat analogous to the whole concept of Egyptian/Mayan trade....
it has to do with a piece of property wife's family owns, about 40 miles west of my home town in N. Central Texas. This property has 'frontage' on both the Brazos River and the Palo Pinto Creek 'System'. In fact, there is one spot where the Creek and the River join together. Along this water 'frontage' is a low-lying river Plain that stretches for 200-300 yards into the property. The plain runs into a small hill. There is a low rise at the bottom of the hill.
This 'rise' offers a great view of the confluence of the waters and the 'early-early' Indian tribes (Paleo-Indians, Archaic Indians, etc.) used to take advantage of the rise and lay in wait for the local game that would sneak out of the hills and brambles to snatch a quick drink at Dusk and Dawn. To keep themselves busy as they sat on the rise, the Indians would re-sharpen their flint skinning tools, Atlatl points (predating the concept of the bow and arrow, an Atlatl is a short spear that is launched out of a separate shaft with a cup on the end of it. The short spear fits in the cup, creating a lever-like effect when the spear is launched, etc.). [see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlatl]
I know this is true, because you can still find the discarded broken points and tools on the ground after a hard rain, particularly where a dirt road crosses the low rise.
Interestingly, all these 'hunting points' and 'tools' are made from flint that comes from Michigan, over a 1,000 miles away.
And again, no arrow heads which means that the Michigan Flint tools and points' were left on the ground between 10,000 to 2,000 years ago!
frono, How did that Michigan flint rock get to Texas? You think there was a little bit of trading going on between Texas and Michigan? Some infrastructure?? I do!!
Back to Egypt: I don't know if they were 'smoking and snorting' or not. From my personal point of view, I thought maybe
any trade goods from the New World would be so scarce that they would be considered 'desirable' by the ruling classes solely because of the exclusivity issue alone and would therefore be used as some of the substances added to the embalming procedure/chemical process. Sort of like,
'Hey, Aman Ho-tep, what kind of jazzy embalming fluid did you cook up for King Tut?'
'Oh, brother. I used some of those wacky leaves from the End of the Earth!'
'Really, man?!? Did you use the stuff that makes your lip numb or the stuff that smells when you burn it?'
'Both! I used lots, too. Tut's gonna feel numb for a long time!!'
'Dig it!!'
Back to your earlier reply: Hadn't thought about King Tut firing up a Stogie after a little nose-candy, but I'll take your thoughts into consideration. :lol: I do like the idea of seeds from the New World being brought to Egypt! Lot easier to carry a seed than a bunch of leaves!
HH