Archaeologica.org

This is a perfect illustration of that point, and also why I never believe anything quoted on Wikipedia....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4502846.stm

Ah, yes! "Fundamentalism" was the word I was looking for.
Thanks for reminding me.

Words like "always" and "never" are pointless. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, as the saying goes.

When you read anything it is still your responsibility to evaluate it and analyze it.

Hitler wrote a book. That doesn't make it 'gospel' because it is in print. In fact, considering the inaccuracies in the "gospels" that's probably a bad analogy to begin with.

Minimalist wrote:Words like "always" and "never" are pointless. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, as the saying goes.

But the point is: how would you KNOW when that happens to be?! It requires a frame of reference.

No, no....if you have a broken clock around one should also have one that works... otherwise you never know what time it is!

lol

yep-the self-same frame of reference!

Ok. Let's get back on topic, now.

Can anyone tell me new information on the Olmec society? Or is it a Taboo?

Is there any new information on the Olmecs. There has been a great deal of conjecture and one would have to be blind not to see the apparent African likeness in the so-called "heads."

With all the discussions about possible European/Asian maritime contacts in the pre-Columbian era it doesn't take too much of a sense of geography to see that a sea voyage from Africa to South/Central America is far simpler than one from China or Spain. As far as the prevailing winds are concerned, one has only to consider the general drift of hurricanes forming off the West African coast and drifting westward to see how simple it would be for someone to make use of those winds for a voyage to the Americas.

OK, then. Let's venture beyond if. Let's take that as a given for the sake of argument.
Then the next question would be 'when', wouldn't it?
When did they come over? Are there any clues to that maybe?
OK, simpler then: how old is the Olmek head? Any other more or less 'dated' Olmek artifacts? Is there a pattern? A time line? A story even perhaps?
Is there current local Indian lore, oral tradition, that might tie in with anything else of the above? How about old conquistadore records?
Almost forgot: genetic research! Any links there with Africa?
I'm just waiting for someone to scrape everything together dilligently, then step back and overlook the evidence. Eventually the puzzle pieces will fall into place. He or she'll have an "Aha-erlebnis" and may paint us a grand picture of WTF possibly happened there!
Pardon my French.

The Spanish systematically destroyed much of the pre-Columbian written record and archaeologists generally stick their heads in the sand anyway when it comes to folklore.

One also has to wonder if DNA traces would be useful because of all the subsequent 'cross-pollination' as a result of the slave trade.

Minimalist wrote:[...] One also has to wonder if DNA traces would be useful because of all the subsequent 'cross-pollination' as a result of the slave trade.

I think they are. Apparently it is technically possible to not only determine and follow mitochondrial lineages, and WHERE they came from, but also WHEN branchings in those lineages occurred. In terms of numbers of generations. That would be a good means of timing.
Would be close enough for me if it were available in this case.

I don't know enough about the technique to be able to answer.

sorry. That was me.

Getting like Frank!