I have had a thought for many years that I have absolutely no proof at all. Just like my Mayan Empire suggestion it is based upon logic without a darned bit of fact. But logic sometimes has a way of suggesting a reality that you cannot prove.
Also, I think that one should use these logical ideas sometimes like scientific theories in order to start looking in the right direction. Because they believed they found a pre-Columbian Viking settlement in North America and they found the “mythical” city of Troy.
So with my justification for my myth, here is my “truth”:
Fishermen traveled far and wide for their fish and have done so for generations; for centuries uncounted. These fishermen are also not well know for sharing their fishing grounds with each other, let alone with outsiders. Therefore, it is logical and realistic that fishermen have fishing locations that have never been documented and shared with outsiders.
Couple that with the fish of choice historically throughout Europe has been codfish. From Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, codfish has been the fish of choice. As long as history has recorded, this has been The Fish and it has been fished and preserved in salt.
Along the Atlantic, all countries fished the codfish far and wide. The Atlantic Cod was the most widely fished and widely sought cod. Most famous for cod fishing were the Scandinavian fishermen and Portuguese fishermen. In fact, the Portuguese fishermen were probably the most famous for historically sailing for months and months at a time, fishing far afield, catching and salting codfish.
Where am I going with this? Here!
I cannot believe that the Scandinavian nor, more likely, the Portuguese fishermen did not fish the Grand Banks generations prior to the voyages of Columbus. I would not even bet that they did not precede the Viking voyages. Fish is fish. No documentation does not surprise me.
The other issue is that, as close as they were, I am sure that they landed on the North American continent. Did they stay. Probably not. At least not in large numbers. If at all, it would be onesies and twosies of those either stranded or abandoned.
I am not promoting the idea that this was any form of major contact. I am however advising that it is highly likely that there was contact. In fact, it is highly unlikely that there was NOT contact. Think about it.
