w00t.

[camwyn]

Experts hope to emulate Chinese Columbus

BBC News Online: Plans are afoot to try and emulate the travels of a Chinese eunuch who is believed to have discovered America more than 70 years before Christopher Columbus.

Admiral Zheng He is extremely well known in China, where he is considered one of the pioneers of marine exploration. . .


It really doesn't take much to make me happy, some days. (Mind you, somewhere my Italian ancestors are huddling together, edging away from me, muttering to each other about hospital mix-ups and similar things...)

Comments

[lwood.livejournal.com]

Bah. The Italians liked the Chinese fine -- they sent Marco Polo, neh?

Of course, the fight about who invented pasta got really exciting after that. Current theory apparently points toward 'independent invention,' but I'm not a nutritional anthropologist (http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season1/PastaTranscript.htm)...

-- L

Re:

[camwyn]

Trust me, I know. My advisor in college was an Anthro professor who did his Ph.D. research on the diffusion of foods through Europe and central Asia. Plus my cooking text from Foods I and II at CCM points out there's a mention of noodles in one of the older Talmud versions, which would imply a certain amount of independent invention SOMEWHERE.