One question might be: When an account from the year 500 is read that speaks of going the proper distance east from China to reach North America, and gives many details that could be true, why should it not be believed? (50)
There are reasons. Not only is verified secondary evidence lacking, but also, as far as archaeological or anthropological theory goes, many things—for some scholars—are at stake. Early contact between peoples of the Americas and the Old World is a subject highly charged with emotion even today, particularly where the transmission of inventions and beliefs might be involved. (51) Even the consideration of “insignificant” contact creates interest and argument.
And this is another way of asking: So what? Stories like these have an importance beyond simple curiosity. If it is ever proven that common human inventions, art forms, or beliefs were made independently in many areas of the world, this would support the innate creativity of humans and perhaps even the inevitability of human achievement. Independent development of things and ways of belief would mean human culture is not unique to any place in the world—or perhaps to human-like beings on other worlds. And it would mean that lost cultural accomplishments are probably regained.
If, on the other hand, major things are only invented once and thereafter passed on from person to person, human culture is apparently unique, even accidental—and susceptible to permanent loss. In this case, no one can count of cultural advances to regenerate if destroyed. (52)
At present, the stories of early Chinese explorers and wandering Buddhist priests have no unquestionably supporting facts outside of a few old documents and cultural observations which could be coincidence. This is evidence which by no means forms what is known as full verification or proof.
Ruins remain in the trans-Pecos of Texas but, so far,
nothing that appears to have come from China.
Photograph by Two Dog Woman Graphics.
The most liberal opinion which attracts general support at present is that a boat or two may accidentally have been driven by storms over the Pacific in earlier centuries, but any contact was culturally insignificant. (53) In other words, no one has yet discovered the ruin of a fifth century Buddhist temple in Texas.
But these stories remain intriguing. And they remain. They are a long way from being forgotten, and their consideration can lead to a great flexibility in thinking. That’s a good thing to develop. Above all, the stories are illustrations of a basic concern: Just what is a fact? And that consideration—being able to intelligently form such a question—is perhaps more important than the “truth” of the stories.
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