NYC Rebel
...on the otherside of the pond
Ivan Van Sertima's been on this....
Rare Chinese coin found in Kenya by Chicago scientists - chicagotribune.com
Illinois scientists' find in Kenya shows early trade with China
Coin on Kenyan island dates to before Europeans mapped that part of the world
The small copper and silver coin was discovered during a joint expedition by the Field Museum and the University of Illinois at Chicago and features a small hole in the center to allow it to be worn on a belt. The coin, called "Yongle Tongbao," was minted sometime between 1403 and 1425 A.D. during the reign of Emperor Yongle, according to a news release from the museum.
Yongle, who began construction of China's Forbidden City, sent Admiral Zheng He to explore the lands around the Indian Ocean.
"Zheng He was, in many ways, the Christopher Columbus of China," said Chapurukha Kusimba, curator of African anthropology at the Field Museum. "It's wonderful to have a coin that may ultimately prove he came to Kenya."
Manda, off the northern coast of Kenya, featured an advanced civilization for more than 1,200 years before it was abandoned in 1430 A.D. and never again inhabited, according to the Field Museum.
Rare Chinese coin found in Kenya by Chicago scientists - chicagotribune.com
Illinois scientists' find in Kenya shows early trade with China
Coin on Kenyan island dates to before Europeans mapped that part of the world
The small copper and silver coin was discovered during a joint expedition by the Field Museum and the University of Illinois at Chicago and features a small hole in the center to allow it to be worn on a belt. The coin, called "Yongle Tongbao," was minted sometime between 1403 and 1425 A.D. during the reign of Emperor Yongle, according to a news release from the museum.
Yongle, who began construction of China's Forbidden City, sent Admiral Zheng He to explore the lands around the Indian Ocean.
"Zheng He was, in many ways, the Christopher Columbus of China," said Chapurukha Kusimba, curator of African anthropology at the Field Museum. "It's wonderful to have a coin that may ultimately prove he came to Kenya."
Manda, off the northern coast of Kenya, featured an advanced civilization for more than 1,200 years before it was abandoned in 1430 A.D. and never again inhabited, according to the Field Museum.
