Next week, a 1763 map of China depicting the entire Americas and Australia will be displayed in Beijing and London. However, this map notably excludes England.
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The 1763 Map |
If this map was indeed created in 1763, it would not be particularly surprising (as Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492). However, this map features a note indicating it is a reproduction of another map from 1418.
Currently, scientists are verifying the map’s authenticity (regarding the paper and ink) to determine whether it was truly created in 1763. Nevertheless, if this claim holds true, the question of whether the Chinese were the first to discover the Americas remains unanswered (one cannot solely rely on the phrase “reproduced from” another map drawn in 1418).
Some argue that it was neither Christopher Columbus nor the Chinese who first explored the Americas, but rather the Viking Leif Eriksson, who arrived in the Americas around the year 1000.
THE WHEEL OF FATE
