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They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America | 
 enlarge | Author: Ivan Van Sertima
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  72 reviews
Sales Rank: 37276
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 0812968174
Dewey Decimal Number: 970.019
EAN: 9780812968170
ASIN: 0812968174
Publication Date: September 23, 2003
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Condition: Excellent copy.
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Amazon.com
This controversial book by Ivan Van Sertima, the Guyanese historian, linguist, and anthropologist, claims that Africans had been to the New World centuries before Columbus arrived there in 1492. Citing--among other things--the huge Negroid-looking Olmec heads of Central Mexico and the similarities between the Aztec and Egyptian calendars and pyramid structures, Van Sertima pieces together a hidden history of pre-Columbian contact between Africans and Native Americans. He also puts forth the possibility that Columbus may have already known about a route to the Americas from his years in Africa as a trader in Guinea. The ideas in this book have been debated and discussed since its first publication in 1976; even those who choose not to believe Van Sertima's theories should take his argument seriously. --Eugene Holley, Jr.
Product Description
They Came Before Columbus reveals a compelling, dramatic, and superbly detailed documentation of the presence and legacy of Africans in ancient America. Examining navigation and shipbuilding; cultural analogies between Native Americans and Africans; the transportation of plants, animals, and textiles between the continents; and the diaries, journals, and oral accounts of the explorers themselves, Ivan Van Sertima builds a pyramid of evidence to support his claim of an African presence in the New World centuries before Columbus. Combining impressive scholarship with a novelist’s gift for storytelling, Van Sertima re-creates some of the most powerful scenes of human history: the launching of the great ships of Mali in 1310 (two hundred master boats and two hundred supply boats), the sea expedition of the Mandingo king in 1311, and many others. In They Came Before Columbus, we see clearly the unmistakable face and handprint of black Africans in pre-Columbian America, and their overwhelming impact on the civilizations they encountered.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 67 more reviews...
 Mexicans look like Olmecs Because of their African Heritage March 22, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RNAC6IWWMBGSK The ancient Olmec came from Africa they spoke the Mande languages. The Olmec called themselves Xi (Shi). In this film we explain that Mexicans look like Africans because of the genetic admixture of these populations since ancient times and the Atlantic Slave Trade.Due to this admixture Mexicans carry many African genes.
 Van Sertima avoids the facts that do not support his claims February 19, 2008
7 out of 11 found this review helpful
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2LCZXW36ZS5IU This video is a rebuttal to some of the claims made by Van Sertima and Winters. Neither are primary researchers. Neither studied archaeology, linguistics or anthropology to any degree to claim expertise in the subject. In fact what they do is comb other people's research and/or writings in search of any quotes they can use to support their theiories. They are both known for using outdated, refuted, and even misquoted studies and to ignore statements in later studies or even IN THE SAME STUDY or the SAME AUTHOR which categorically rebutt these Pseudo Historian's claims.
Since the first migrations across the Beringian coastal regions, archaeological and anthropological evidence has spoken of a population that migrated from Asia and would be the founders, not only of modern Native Americans, but also of modern Asians. As Asia has shown diversity that spans from Australian Aborigines and Melanesians to South Asians to the Siberian Yupik. These same phenotypes have been reflected in Native American morphology. Since the first studies of ancient skulls like Penon woman and Luzia we have seen a morphological continuity that spans many phenotypes and is still in existence today. Olmecs show this variety of phenotypes in their sculptures. Excavations in nearby Tlatilco have shown similarity in phenotype to modern Native Americans as well. In all excavations sundadont and sinodont populations have been found and neither of these dental patterns exist in African populations that means they developed in populations that had already migrated out of Africa, and could not exist in either Egyptian or Mande populations. Since Luzia and Penon woman to the extinct Pericu, and the modern Huichol, Fuegians, Botocudos, Xingu, Moche and others, the thick lips and features seen in Olmec sculpture and modern Native populations have always been there. They are not an import from another continent but direct descendants of the earliest Paleolithic people on the Asian continent who migrated to the Americas. Olmecs were products of the Americas.
A Great Book By a Great Man December 19, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book was a wonderful summary on the obvious facts of the original native americans, the African Olmecs. People of African descent should stop waiting for a relentlessly racist amerikkka to concur with what is so obviously true especially now that we have real scholars who have the credentials to bring us undisputable facts and information such as in this book. Amerikkka and her sorry scholars will not admit the first americans were black so stop even trying to talk to pale people about it because they will never admit what they know to be true. We should also pay no attention whatsoever to what ignorant racist pale people say about history in general when they have only been here a few thousand years and every single day of every year they have been on earth they have done nothing but steal, destroy and prove their worthlessness, ignorance and evil time and time again.
Ivan stuck to the facts, the native americans admit Africans have been in america before columbus and his evil cohorts. The evil europeans who went on to kill the red man to feed their unquenchable european greed even admitted they saw Africans in south america and they had spears made with substances that come from Africa. The Olmecs had in their possession toy African elephants, and there are no elephants in america. Cranioligists of european descent admit the facial bone structure of the Olmecs were of ethiopian structure. Europeans also admit that if one was to get into a boat off the coast of west Africa, no matter what, the winds would blow you to south america.
I could go on and on with undisputable fact after fact as Ivan did in his book, but it wouldn't mean anything if you already decided in your head that the black race is somehow inferior. Thats the issue with most pale people, for them to admit that Africans were the original americans they would have to admit that they were lied to by their western schools and western minded teachers. They would have to admit that europeans have a habit of lying to make themselves feel superior to everyone else in the world. And they would eventually have to admit all the contributions made by the Africans to this world, and that wont happen because admitting that would prove the western world's folly.
As it were, this book is wonderful and true. Dont forget the other books that go hand in hand with this one, such as "Africans in Asia" by Runoko Rashidi, "Africans in europe" by Ivan Van Sertima and the follow up books about the Olmecs such as Ivan's "Early America revisited". If you keep digging you will find there is historical, archaeolgical and factual proof that the black man, the original man, has been to every corner of this planet before any other race of people were even around. Do the research.
 Interesting but thats all. July 5, 2007
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
This book raises a few interesting issues but that is about all. Did Columbus discover America? Obviously not as there were people inhabiting the place when he arrived. Had people from the 'old world' traveled to America before Columbus? There would be no reason to suggest that they had not. We have found coins and jewlery from Norse cultures and in this book examples of African art and culture also.
Concerning some images such as statues are art. Yes, they could be African, most likely Native American, possibly influenced by Africans. I mean the thing that is often forgotten is that contary to popular belief our ancestors did not just sit about their own private villages or towns never daring to travel. We have numerous travel books from adventurers and oral tradition to prove otherwise. The peoples of the south Pacific who colonised the islands there, the numerous 'Rihla' books in Arabic and 'Seyahet-name' in Persian and Turkish.
People did travel, there are travel books from Arab manuscripts of adventurers who went to Northern Russia and Eastern Europe, Masudi who went into the Indian jungles the list is endless so there is no reason to asume that Africans may or may not have traveled the Atlantic to the Americas and if in sufficiant numbers settled there.
Where the book does start to go to far is to claim that there was some African influence on nearly every aspect of Native American culture. This form of cultural imperialism is no different than the European kind.
An interesting book, I liked the tale of the Mali king who sailed away leaving his kingdom. Worth reading but with a pinch of salt.
Well-Written Obligatory History Science Revealing Amazing Facts April 24, 2007
7 out of 11 found this review helpful
In the meanwhile (from the book's 1st publishing in 1976) it has become widely accepted that the Vikings preceded Columbus in the Americas considerably. It is also popularly known today that Columbus never set foot on American mainland soil personally on any of his travels. Yet, it is still argued by many African Americans that Black Africans arrived in the Americas simultaneously with the very first "Columbian-European" ships onwards - as slaves - and therefore are as naturally or not "Americans" as the Euro Americans today. Why so shy? Ivan Van Sertima proves neatly that Black Africans preceded Columbus in the Americas in at least half a dozen eras, some of those even preceding the Vikings considerably. In fact, that the Americas never have been as completely isolated from Africasia (including Europe) as commonly believed, with accidental driftings from e.g. Japan, Oceania, Europe and Africa all along - even vice versa. Most fascinating are the PLANNED travels by Black Africans to the Americas, ranging from the Egyptian-Phoenician joint (ad)ventures, via the (Black) Mali Empire of 1310/11 and the Moorish-Arabs. While some of these didn't leave that many traces in the Americas, some introduced botanical revolutions in the "Old World" upon return, others caused considerable influences in the famous civilisations of the Americas, such as the Olmecs, Mayas, Aztecs, socalled Incas and many others.
If that sounds unbelievable, you will know for sure after reading this book. I have reviewed parts (!) of other revealing books as a bit of a fishing, theories in need of scientific validation (The Africans Who Wrote the Bible); as maybe flawed proofs for general truths to be enhanced by more modern reasonings (Stolen Legacy); as less than circumstantial evidence (AFRICAN ORIGINS OF FREEMASONRY: Treatise of the Ancient Grand Lodge of Khamet). This book, however, in all parts manages to convince with overwhelming scientific hard evidence, simply un-disprovable. To quote the book's conclusion: "The African [pre-Columbian] presence is proven by stone heads, terra-cottas, skeletons, artifacts, techniques and inscriptions, by oral traditions and documented history, by botanical, linguistic and cultural data." Astounding to read today that Columbus himself was very much aware of African contact with the Americas preceding him, in fact this being the reason to pursue those travel( route)s in the first place. That the nautical skills of most of the preceding Africans by far outmatched those of Columbus - even up to the Europeans till the 18th century. That the king Abubakari himself of the Mali empire, which dwarfed the Roman empire, crossed the Atlantic on a first contact mission very daringly. Not to mention the very specific and very complex parallels between several ancient American and African cultures.
After reading this book, what strikes me as more amazing than the facts revealed, is my previous vague might-or-maybe-belief of them, as I had basically heard of the respective "theory" of the book's title, but without any proven specifics. Being fairly educated on this for my interest in Africa I did know before that it is accepted facts that the ancient Egyptians dug a canal from the Nile to the Red Sea and successfully sent a shipping expedition around Africa. That the Phoenicians became a sea travelling people. That the Egyptians knew that the world was ball-shaped and were masters of astronomy. That they were master-precision builders geometrically and astronomically. That the Polynesians were able to travel to and settle on Hawaii, Easter Island, New Zealand and Madagascar with ships not even resulting from an extraordinary megacity building society. More recently I had learned that the Egyptians and Phoenicians travelled to the British Isles by ship, even into the Baltic Sea. That the East Africans sent ships to India, even China, transporting gifts for the emperors such as elephants and giraffes. And so on and so forth. How was it possible not to automatically assume, Africans could and would send ships to the Americas?! Only because the white-skinned Europeans (largely) wouldn't and couldn't?
The latter fact isn't that surprising either. East Africa is the cradle of humanity, (lighter) black the first skin color. White is one of the last phenotypes emerging so far, for one of the last inhabitations was Europe (having been under ice a lot). Everybody knows that at the time of the pyramids getting built (no matter in which time line version), nothing of the sort happened in Northern, Central, not even in Southern Europe. And after the Greco-Roman cultural collapse, Europe was plunged - on purpose by the religious rulers - into the Dark Ages of mis-education or rather no-education. Sciences and (e.g. nautical) skills were re-introduced by the (largely Black) Moorish-Arab empire(s), stretching into Iberia. It is also no surprise that we have been misinformed on Africa. In order to sell mass-enslavement (again originally in order to demolish the rivaling Egyptian Black Isis religion, spreading in Europe) of the once venerated Black Africans to their European (Christian) subjects, the white rulers had to invent the propaganda that Blacks wouldn't even be humans, but wild apes. In those three lights this book's content appears very natural and not at all like a "controversial theory". The latter is one of the reactions I got for reading this book (publicly, silently by myself). Another reaction was that this is a typically (19)70s book: "Stuff like that was written back then.", ending the interest in this book. Knowledge isn't a fashion! It has to be enhanced by constantly building up on itself. If you never keep up, the gap will only widen. Someone third had never heard about this and couldn't believe it, as he has been misinformed that no pre-colonial civilisation existed in (supposedly) landlocked (Black) Africa. (For this specific purpose of balancing this lack of information I advise to read When We Ruled: The Ancient and Medieval History of Black Civilisations as a preparation for this book.) But then again, during the last couple of (publicly reading) weeks I was approached three times by strangers, commenting their amazement that I could read (as a RastafarI), and IF I could that I indeed would chose to do so. Two of them in all seriousness suggesting, I would only pretend (being able) to read to falsely impress people. Which reminds me of Ivan Van Sertima's words in this book: Racist conditioned people are rather willing to believe the absolutely absurd - Erich von Daeniken's science fiction that aliens from outer space built the African and American pyramids - than accepting the most obvious, easily provable reality that it was Black Africans (in combination with the Native Americans).
The elapsed time from 1976 hasn't only given us a much better overstanding of the ancient American cultures, but has confirmed Ivan Van Sertima by disconfirming him, which should be taken into consideration: Ancient North Africans from the Egyptians via the Pheonicians (including Carthage) to the peoples of the Arabian Peninsula once had been black/much more black than described in this book. It is also known today that the ocean traveling East African Swahili culture became much less Arab influenced and that much later on than previously averred. It has been revealed that Egyptian history has been enviously faked to appear much younger by an initial Berlin Egyptologist, whose "findings" got copied ever since. Thus, the 1st dynasty didn't start some time in the late 4th millennia B.C., but in the early 6th millennia B.C. The first known mummification isn't anymore from Fezzan, "3,500 B.C.", but Uan Muhuggiag in (Black) Libya, ca. 7,500 B.C. Chemical analyses of Egyptian mummies have further proven American contact: Residues of cocaine. (Plus of Australian eucalyptus, by the way.) Most certainly, genetics have advanced in quantum leaps, yet I am not aware of any studies looking into the pre-Colombian African connection. In other words: Even where since 1976 Ivan Van Sertima has been overtaken by ever fresher knowledge (human knowledge currently doubles every 5 years), his statements get confirmed ever more. If the next print of this book fails to include an update, after well more than 30 years, indeed a rating star may be subtracted then.)
A note on the one-star populists on this review site: There are tons of them. None of them, I repeat: not a single one of them even attempts to disprove any of Van Sertima's proofs. (One corrects a bit, but of irrelevant specifics not concerned with the major question.) All they do is to hurl statements of disbelief, based on nothing else but layperson opinions, at the potential buyers of this book. With the only intent to prevent as many people as possible to read this book. Because they are not reasoning with the other reviewers, as the former do not argue as if having read the book and/or as if attempting to convince the other reviewers. The focus is solely on the potential new readers. Superficially, they seem all logical. But all, I repeat, ALL of their arguments are dismissable with ease. That's what I have done a lot in my comments of such populist reviews. I will give one example. Early on in the debate several reviewers claim, because close-by Madagascar is populated by Polynesians, not Africans, no Africans by all logic could have travelled to distant America. Sounds sensible? Well: Van Sertima makes proof of the Egyptians, largely in connection with the Phoenicians as well as the Mali empire travelled to America. Not the East Africans off the coast of Madagascar. Take a look at a globe or a Peter's Map: America is four times closer to Mali than Madagascar (by sea route). Additionally, a map of currents and winds provided in the book shows perfectly that Africans from the ancient Mali empire (i.e. the Senegalese/The Gambian coast) are able to basically float to America without trying, while having to counter winds and currents to get to Madagascar. At the time of the ancient Egyptian canal non-existant, the Egyptian-Phoenician ships would have to have travelled almost completely around Africa to get to Madagascar, even much further away than from Mali. And when they had the canal, they travelled around Africa the other direction. Also: It is historic fact that Vasco da Gama "discovered" India for one reason only: Hiring a Black Swahili sea guide showing him the way. Also: It is even false that no Africans populated Madagascar. It was only that the Polynesians had a much bigger overpopulation problem on their largely small islands, causing much greater emigration pressure, i.e. they quickly outnumbered the Black Africans on Madagascar. Yet, the populists' argument even supports Van Sertima: The Polynesians are/were still largely black, supposedly posessing inferior to white European civilisation. Yet they are by far the most spread out people the world has ever seen - all by ocean travel (with no original ship surviving till today). Last not least the Arabs came into contact with Black, Polynesian, Chinese, Viking and Greco-Roman ship-building knowledge and nautical skills. Why wouldn't they be able to reach the Americas?
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