I love it when dogmatic science gets a punch in the mouth. Case in point - 3,000 year old Mummies just chock full of cocaine and tobacco in their desiccated systems. Now wait a minute you say, how could Old World Egyptian mummies have narcotics from the New World in their system? Exactly.
In 1992, respected toxicologist Dr. Svelta Balabanova (Institute of Forensic Medicine, Ulm) in Munich, Germany ran tests on the mummy of priestess Henut Taui. What turned up? But huge amounts of cocaine and tobacco in her hair and system. You can rule out contamination from outside sources (the usual explanation for out of place artifacts) because the samples were tested from the priestess's hair-meaning the person ingested the narcotics during their lifetime. Talk about visiting the spirit world.
In 1976 the body of Ramses II was found to have a high concentration of tobacco as well. The explanation was again contamination from pipe smoking archaeologists but it does not explain the high presence ingested and endowed within the hair and body. Another explanation is now-extinct plants akin to tobacco and coca leaves but this is reaching for weak explanations even further than the idea of Thor Heyerdahl crossing the Atlantic in a primitive reed boat which he did using the mid-Atlantic current. If Thor could do it why not anyone else.
Often the argument of cultural superiority is brought up but I ask is it not possible that Native Americans also sailed the seas (as many of their own legends attest) and they sold the goods to the Egyptians including maize (where did that come from?) My personal favorite Native American author, Vine Deloria jr. of the Algonquian Nation say they came from the east across the sea. In India, gods in sculptured soapstone friezes in Hoysala temples of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries B.C. near Mysore, hold in their hands representations of maize and in the famous Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland more carvings of Maize adorn the walls-Rosslyn Chapel was built long before Columbus too.
Why is it so heretical to say people had the knowledge, skill and adventurous spirit to have trans-oceanic travel long ago? The proofs are there if we can just accept them. I am only scratching the barest surface in this post I meant to stick to cocaine. And now for your listening enjoyment Mr. Eric Clapton.
8 comments:
That's kind of awesome! This appeals to me because I am determined to believe that early vikings were the sea peoples. IF early peoples from the Americas (and who is to say that there was not some advancement that was then lost, because it isn't like those same things didn't happen cyclically in the west, too!) could sail across the Atlantic and engage in trade with ancient Egypt, then why can't the pre-Vikings have sailed around the Iberian Peninsula to do some conquering and raiding? There is some evidence that they had contact with Crete, judging by figures of goddesses and whatnot, so why not?
My husband has offered me many logical arguments against this theory of pre-viking Sea Peoples, but there's just too much lingering mystery for me to throw it out the window.
Yeah Amalia-I take it you have seen those Egyptian heiroglyhps of the invading sea peoples with their Vikingesque horned helms?
Way interesting. It does make you wonder, doesn't it?
Hey Nichole, oh yeah it gives lots of ideas for stories.
Hear, hear! Why do we always assume these ancient people were not as smart as us? It makes sense to me.
Wow, that's fascinating! Those poor dogmatic scientists. It must be hard to accept proof of things they've believed the contrary of throughout their academic careers.
Thanks Angie-that's part of my whole thought process with my novels.
Ha-oh yeah Kim.
Very interesting, David. I love reading about things like this - history being my passion. Where did you find these articles?
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