Romans in America? (1 Viewer)

[marco55]

Could this be true? http://news.yahoo.com/ancient-sword-could-prove-romans-discovered-115403473.html
Mark

 

[larso]

I don't think a sword could survive that long??

 

[theBaron]

The thing is, the Romans left pretty extensive historical records, that is, their own historians wrote pretty clearly about what was their known world, and there is no mention in any documents left by any of their writers, of anyone even sailing westward till they might have hit the Americas, let alone of anyone who did and returned to tell about it. I am very skeptical that any Romans ever made it to America.

Prost!
Brad

 

[larso]

I'm open to the possibility of a ship being there but not getting back. I saw a doco a few years ago which showed some rock carvings in South America somewhere, of men with very distinct European and African features - dating well before Columbus. The suggestion was a ship blown way off course. I can't seem to find anything on it since though.

 

[theBaron]

I won't say impossible, but I think it is not very likely. Roman ships weren't really designed well to handle on the open expanses of the Atlantic, far from shores, dealing with its storms and currents, were they? The Romans knew of the Canary Islands, and though there are signs of prehistoric human presence on the Azores, I don't think the Romans knew of them, nor any modern Europeans, till the Portuguese discovered them.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Horus]

I remember reading years ago about a similar mystery of fragments of Roman amphora being found off South America. Where they came to the conclusion that the amphora had been carried in the ships holds as ballast.
Obviously a Roman sword is something completely different and an interesting what if !

 

[waynepoo]

Vikings...yes, Romans...doubt it.
Wayne.

 

[The Military Workshop]

Think about the possible new diorama idea. Romans v American Indians {sm3}