🚀 go-pugleaf

Robert St. James (stjames@best.com) wrote:
: > It did not die out in India. In fact, the same "archaic" varieties of corn
: > are being cultivated in India today -- by highland tribes.
: 
: What makes corn "archaic"?

You see, Robert, maize evolved in America over many thousands of years. It
was constantly being improved to provide better varieties. According to
Johannessen's hypothesis, since maize arrived to the Old World ca. 2000
years ago, it was an "archaic variety of maize" that made it to India
then. Later, Columbus brought to the Old World an improved variety
(sweet-corn). Early European herbals tell us that 2 varieties of maize
were known in Europe soon after Columbus. One of them may have been known
there before Columbus. 

: > Draw your own conclusions, Robert... The work on estimating the full
: > significance of these finds has barely started. But I suspect the impact
: > of these theories, if confirmed further, will be huge.
: 
: Ok, how are you going to confirm it? And why is it going to be "huge"?

Well, I'm hesitant to speculate here, because too much negativity exists
towards these theories. Much of what I can say on this subject is likely
to be misinterpreted.

: I'm skeptical, partly because of the source. You've made any
: number
: of other far-fetched claims:

You see? This is what I call negativity. I have made absolutely no
far-fetched claims of any sort. Everything I said about these theories was
carefully qualified.

: ancient maps of the New World, phoenecian
: ships in Mexico, was it?, etc. 

No wild claims made by me about any of this.

: Past a certain point, it begins to look suspect, as though
: you are a charlatan, with no real interest in archaeology other than
: to use it as a platform for your dubious theories. Why should I think
: that this is anything but another of those theories?

I guess you will _absolutely_ have to use your brain in order to decide
for yourself?

Cheers,

Yuri.

Yuri Kuchinsky   | "Where there is the Tree of Knowledge, there
     -=-         | is always Paradise: so say the most ancient 
 in Toronto 	 | and the most modern serpents."  F. Nietzsche
 ----- my webpage is for now at: http://www.io.org/~yuku -----