Chinese global exploration in the pre-Columbian era : evidence from an ancient world map

How early did the Chinese explore the world? Did the Treasure Fleets, led by Admiral Zheng He, discover many parts of the world before Christopher Columbus? While it is known that Christopher Columbus discovered America and Europe ushered in the Age of Discovery, there is an ongoing debate on the 'unknown' areas depicted in Western maps from the period and earlier. There is agreement among scholars that certain areas seem to have been mapped out prior to the arrival of Western explorers. Chinese Global Exploration in the Pre-Columbian Era: Evidence from an Ancient World Map analyses the world's first modern map — known as Kunyu Wanguo Quantu (KWQ) 《坤輿萬國全圖》 in Chinese, translated as the 'Complete Geographical Map of All Kingdoms of the World' to demonstrate evidence of Chinese global exploration in the Pre-Columbian era. The map of concern was first printed by Italian missionary, Matteo Ricci in 1602, and has been purported to be of entirely European origin, based on Ricci's former maps which he had brought to China in 1582. This book, thus, seeks to be transformational in presenting essential new insights on Pre-Columbian world history and Chinese global exploration, moving away from the norm of the studies of geography and cartography by: Readership: Historians, map collectors, archaeologists, geologists, teachers, students, researchers, and others interested in the Pre-Columbian globalization in maritime exploration in the period before the European Age of Discovery. Contents About the Author Introduction Chapter 1 Chinese Explored Cape Breton Island Long Before the Europeans 1. Introduction 2. KWQ Shows Cape Breton Island and Newfoundland Differently from Other European Maps 3. Chinese Knowledge of a Round Earth, the Chinese Latitude, the Chinese Map Projection and the Dating of KWQ 4. Discoveries Made on Cape Breton Island 5. Mysterious Stonework on Cape Breton Island 6. The Chinese Were Skilled Stone Craftsmen 7. Chinese Used Non-explosive Demolition Powder to Break Rocks to Build a Canal and a Fort in St. Peter’s Prior to the Arrival of the Europeans 8. Multiple Visits of Chinese to Cape Breton Island 9. Maps Uncover the Missing History of Cape Breton Island 10. Conclusion Acknowledgements Endnotes Chapter 2 Chinese Explored Australia, New Zealand, Land of Fire and Antarctica Long Before the Europeans 1. Introduction 2. The General Land Shape of Mo Wa La Ni Jia (墨瓦蠟泥加) on KWQ Shows Remarkable Similarity to Its Counterparts on the Three European Maps 3. Extracting Detailed Geographical Information (Evidence) of Australia, New Zealand, Land of Fire and Antarctica from the Map of Mo Wa La Ni Jia (墨瓦蠟泥加) 3.1 Australia 3.2 New Zealand 3.3 Land of Fire and Antarctica 3.4 Uncovering the mystery of the land shape of Terra Australis Incognita and Mo Wa La Ni Jia (墨瓦蠟泥加 ) 4. Archaeological Evidence of Chinese Settlement in New Zealand since pre-B.C. Era until Being Virtually Wiped Out in the Mid-1430s 5. Conclusions Acknowledgements Endnotes Chapter 3 A Chinese-Based World Map Depicts Europe Between 1157 and 1166 1. Introduction 2. The Europe-KWQ Is Not a Direct or Adapted Copy of the Two Major European Maps of the Sixteenth Century 3. The Europe-KWQ Is Very Different from the Major European and Arab Maps of the Twelfth to Fifteenth Centuries 4. Medieval European History and Geography Are Keys in Determining the Era Represented by the Europe-KWQ 5. The Europe-KWQ Depicts Europe Between 1157 and 1166 6. China–Europe Interactions Can Be Traced to the Millennia Before Christ 7. Conclusions Acknowledgements Appendix Endnotes Chapter 4 A Chinese-Based World Map Depicts Africa in 1433 1. Introduction 2. Chinese Drew Maps of Africa since Antiquity 3. Zheng He’s Seven Voyages (1405 to mid-1430s) Unmatched in World History 4. Major European Maps of Africa since Antiquity 5. Africa Depicted on Kunyu Wanguo Quantu to be Compared with Three European Maps 6. The Africa-KWQ Is of Chinese Origin, Not a Direct or Adapted Copy of European Maps 7. The Political Era Revealed by the Africa-KWQ 8. Conclusions Acknowledgements Appendix Endnotes Chapter 5 Did Zheng He’s Mariners Explore the Americas Before Columbus? An Analysis Offers Essential New Insights 1. Introduction 2. Europeans Were Greatly Interested in the New World 3. Europeans Rushed to the Americas During the Sixteenth Century, but a Vast Area Remained Unexplored 4. The America-KWQ Is of Chinese Origin, Not a Copy or Adapted Copy of the Three Major Sixteenth Century European Maps 5. The America-KWQ Reflects the Americas in 1420–1428 6. Why Are the Great Lakes Missing from the America-KWQ? 7. Were the Pericúes Chinese? 8. Conclusions Acknowledgements Appendix Endnotes Index "How early did the Chinese explore the world? Did the Treasure Fleets, led by Admiral Zheng He, discover many parts of the world before Christopher Columbus? While it is known that Christopher Columbus discovered America and Europe ushered in the Age of Discovery, there is an ongoing debate on the "unknown" areas depicted in Western maps from the period and earlier. There is agreement among scholars that certain areas seem to have been mapped out prior to the arrival of Western explorers. Chinese Global Exploration in the Pre-Columbian Era: Evidence from an Ancient World Map analyses the world's first modern map - known as Kunyu Wanguo Quantu (KWQ) in Chinese, translated as the "Complete Geographical Map of All Kingdoms of the World" to demonstrate evidence of Chinese global exploration in the Pre-Columbian era. The map of concern was first printed by Italian missionary, Matteo Ricci in 1602, and has been purported to be of entirely European origin, based on Ricci's former maps which he had brought to China in 1582. This book, thus, seeks to be transformational in presenting essential new insights on Pre-Columbian world history and Chinese global exploration, moving away from the norm of the studies of geography and cartography by: Analysing the histories of all the geographical terms associated with Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, as depicted in the KWQ, thus demonstrating that these areas were most likely explored by the Chinese since Antiquity; Performing a comparison of KWQ with major European maps and state-of-the-art archaeological discoveries"-- Provided by publisher