Han Chinese defeat Roman legionaires 36 BC?

[tlclark]

Discussed on EgyptSearch.com

Topic: Contact with the Americas?

Marijuana, cocaine and nicotine however, have been found in over 40 other mummies. Either these plants existed in the old world and became extinct or there was commerce between the old and the new world thousands of years ago.

Okay, but I'm still sceptical. Where is the academic publication of these findings? They are revolutionary, if true. So why can't I find anything in credible, peer-reviewed material?

Sorry, but this sounds more than a little bit a bit whacko ...

Just for the record, I don't think the Egyptians got to America. That was the point of the exclamation point, to express incredulity.

However, I am convinced they did circumnavigate the continent of Africa, so anything is possible, I think it was possible they MAY have done it, though I highly doubt it.

On the issue of tobacco, marijuana, etc in ancient contexts in the Old World. There is lots of anecdotal evidence that lots of so-called "new world" crops have been found in ancient contexts, but there is also lots of anecdotal evidence that climates and diodiversity in antiquity was vastly different. I have never seen anything definitive on this issue, my guess is that scholars are afraid of touching it.

This is a problem I call "crank-itis". A theory develops, gathers cranks and hacks to it, and that essentially kills the area for other scholars who won't touch it. The only problem is that there is often something interesting to discover, usually far less sensational that hoped by its afficianados, but worthy of scholarly study, but the cranks scare off all honest inquiry.