by Paul Schrag
Archaeologists now trace Olmec origins back to pre-Olmec cultures in the region and there is no credible evidence for major intrusions from the outside. Furthermore, not a single bona fide artifact of old world origin has ever appeared in an Olmec archaeological site, or for that matter anywhere else in Mesoamerica.8
With this entry, Diehl swiftly dismisses all theories and evidence of transoceanic contact. It is important to note how difficult it is to determine what a bona fide old-world artifact would be, since old-world and new-world articles are often indistinguishable. Also, Diehl offers no further information on the cultures from which the Olmecs are presumably derived. For the Olmecs to actually be Africans—not just look like them— they would almost certainly have come to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec via ship. But such voyages are dismissed immediately by most scholars, and the Olmecs have simply been characterized as local boys.
While excavating in the Mexican state of Veracruz in 2006, archaeologist Maria del Carmen Rodriguez discovered a stone slab with 3,000-year-old writing previously unknown to scholars. The slab was covered in carved symbols that appeared to be those of a complex writing system, of which she writes:
Finding a heretofore unknown writing system is rare. One of the last major ones to come to light, scholars say, was the Indus Valley script, recognized from excavations in 1924. Now, scholars are tantalized by a message in stone in a script unlike any other and a text they cannot read. They are excited by the prospect of finding more of this writing, and eventually deciphering it, to crack open a window on one of the most enigmatic ancient civilizations. The inscription on the Mexican stone, with 28 distinct signs, some of which are repeated, for a total of 62, has been tentatively dated from at least 900 B.C., possibly earlier. That is 400 or more years before writing was known to have existed in Mesoamerica, the region from central Mexico through much of Central America, and by extension, anywhere in the hemisphere. Previously, no script had been associated unambiguously with the Olmec culture, which flourished along the Gulf of Mexico in Veracruz and Tabasco well before the Zapotec and Maya people rose to prominence elsewhere in the region. Until now, the Olmec were known mainly for the colossal stone heads they sculptured and displayed at monumental buildings in their ruling cities.9
Several paired sequences of signs have prompted speculation that the text may contain couplets of poetry.
Experts who have examined the symbols on the stone slab said they would need many more examples before they could hope to decipher and read what is written. It appeared, they said, that the symbols in the inscription were unrelated to later Mesoamerican scripts, suggesting that this Olmec writing might have been practiced for only a few generations and may never have spread to surrounding cultures.
Beyond advanced linguistic and literary systems, the Olmecs also seemed to have possessed advanced knowledge of mathematics and navigation.
Astronaut Gordon Cooper became interested in the Olmecs during his final years with NASA. During a treasure-hunting expedition in Mexico, he encountered Olmec ruins, which led to a startling discovery.
One day, accompanied by a National Geographic photographer, we landed in a small plane on an island in the Gulf of Mexico. Local residents pointed out to us pyramid-shaped mounds, where we found ruins, artifacts and bones. On the examinations back in Texas, the artifacts were determined to be 5,000 years old. When we learned of the age of the artifacts we realized that what we’d found had nothing to do with seventeenth-century Spain. . . . I contacted the Mexican government and was put in touch with the head of the national archaeology department, Pablo Bush Romero.10
Together with Mexican archaeologists, the two returned to the site. After some excavating, Cooper writes,
The age of the ruins was confirmed: 3000 B.C. Compared with other advanced civilizations, relatively little was known about the Olmec. Engineers, farmers, artisans, and traders, the Olmecs had a remarkable civilization. But it is still not known where they originated. . . . Among the findings that intrigued me most were celestial navigation symbols and formulas that, when translated, turned out to be mathematical formulas used to this day for navigation, and accurate drawings of constellations, some of which would not be officially “discovered” until the age of modern telescopes. Why have celestial navigation signs if they weren’t navigating celestially?
And he asks: “If someone had helped the Olmecs with this knowledge, from whom did they get it?”11
The enigmas left behind by the Olmecs are staggering. In stark contrast to nearly every assumption held about pre-Columbian cultures, much evidence suggests that people from distant civilizations arrived on the continents “discovered” by explorers such as Lewis centuries before.
Can a similar influence be found in North America? And if so, did it still exist during the journey made by Lewis and Clark?
Florida and the Fountain of Youth
Meriwether Lewis wasn’t the first intrepid adventurer to suffer a dark fate while discovering secrets on the American continent. In 1508, sixteen years after Columbus’s first voyage, Juan Ponce de Leon discovered gold on the island of Puerto Rico. Within a short span of time, the people of the island paradise were extinct. Many died in battle defending their homeland. Others succumbed to diseases incurred during their enslavement by foreign invaders who came to exploit rich stores of gold ore and other precious resources. Like Lewis, his discoveries made Ponce de Leon an instant celebrity and one of the richest men in the New World.
Boasting a slightly less glorious early career than Lewis, de Leon had begun his naval career as a pirate for hire, attacking ships belonging to the Moors. This experience earned him a chance to undertake a journey to the Americas at the same time that Christopher Columbus was making his second trip to the Americas, to the West Indies, as part of a costly excursion financed by the king and queen of Spain. De Leon sailed from the port of Cadiz and arrived on a Caribbean island dubbed Hispaniola, composing the island that is now host to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, to begin his own series of explorations.
Like Lewis, de Leon was a fearless adventurer who reveled in the chance to serve his superiors by exploring the American continent in search of riches. His arrival at Hispaniola marks the explorer’s first connection with the region alleged to host the fountain of youth. Was it here that de Leon first heard of the fabled well? Or had he already been exposed to this legend during his days of looting Moorish ships?
Today, preserved in Aljamiado, is the oldest known story that mentions the mythical fountain. It is a poem written by the Muslims in an encoded language. The poem is called “Al-Iskandur Dhug al Quarnain” and means “Alexander the Two Horned” in Arabic. It tells the story of Alexander the Great going to the land of darkness to find a fountain of youth. It is possible, and some have speculated, that de Leon was aware of these tales via his exploration of Moorish and Muslim customs. The fountain was also mentioned as part of the “Apocryphal Letter of Prester John” that appeared in 1165 in Europe. Three hundred years later, in a world unlike anything they could have imagined, the Spanish explorers may have been enticed by similar legends told by island natives. The exuberance enjoyed after the discovery of new lands could have easily encouraged de Leon to believe that if anyone could find this legendary fountain, he could.
After drifting past the Bahamas and the Florida Keys, de Leon made landfall on the North American mainland, which he mistook initially for an island. Thinking he was still in the Caribbean, de Leon dropped anchor and went ashore somewhere north of what would become the city of St. Augustine.
In 1514 de Leon returned to Spain to report his findings. The fountain of youth was somewhere in those lush isles, he asserted, and the king and queen were convinced that de Leon could find it. On his next excursion de Leon sailed with two hundred men and enough supplies to establish a colony. He landed on the west coast of Florida near what would become Charlotte Harbor and was attacked by Calusa natives. A poisonous arrow wounded de Leon, and most of the Spanish soldiers
and colonists were killed. Like Lewis, de Leon’s appetite for adventure and exploration led to his untimely death. The few survivors of the skirmish at Charlotte Harbor retreated to Cuba, where de Leon died from his wounds a month later.
Coincidentally, in his initial discovery and in his last battle, de Leon had crept within a short distance of lush areas of deep freshwater sources in Florida; one is near the city of St. Augustine and another in Zephyrhills. The site of his last battle with the natives was a short distance away from the Warm Mineral Springs of North Port, Florida. These massive springs run two thousand feet deep.
Despite the gruesome scuffle and the death of de Leon, the search for the fountain continued. The Spanish conqueror and explorer Pánfilo de Nárvaez (1478–1528) attempted an expedition from Cuba but was caught in a hurricane. The fleet of ships was destroyed, and the survivors washed ashore near modern-day Tampa Bay. Only a man by the name of Cabeza de Vaca and thirty companions survived. Their intention was to reach a Spanish settlement in Mexico and regroup there, but after a battle with hostile natives they rafted their way into southwestern Texas. Traveling west along the Colorado River, de Vaca and the survivors of the ill-fated expedition became the first Europeans to see a bison, or American buffalo. De Vaca returned to Spain nine years later and published his story. It was the bestseller of its time.
In it there are references to encounters with giants, which coincidentally was a recurring theme in Native American folklore. De Vaca’s astounding tales mention an encounter during a raid.
When we attempted to cross the large lake, we came under heavy attack from many giant Indians concealed behind trees. Some of our men were wounded in this conflict for which the good armor they wore did not avail. The Indians we had so far seen are all archers. They go naked, are large of body, and appear at a distance like giants. They are of admirable proportions, very spare and of great activity and strength. The bows they use are as thick as the arm, of eleven or twelve palms in length, which they discharge at two hundred paces with so great precision that they miss nothing.1
In 1539 Hernando De Soto sailed nine ships into Tampa Bay. As they ventured inland, they encountered the friendly Timucuans. It was customary for the explorers to ensure their safety by holding captive the tribal chiefs. This was done diplomatically, as an invitation. After some reluctance the chiefs agreed to become De Soto’s “guests.”
When the natives realized becoming guests meant being turned in to slaves, the local tribes, led by Chief Copafi of the Apalachee, sparked an uprising. After weeks of warfare the chief was finally captured in a battle near what would become Tallahassee. He was described as a man of monstrous proportions.
Some of these legends of giants and the search for the fountain of youth are being cast in new light thanks to the work of researcher Duane K. McCullough. McCullough has found different rock islands within Key Largo that contain springs that are unique in composition, thanks to exposure to abundant amounts of nutritious sea salts. These concentrations are attributed to tidal pressure and seasonal freshwater flushing from the Everglades, collecting and mixing within the aquatic pathways that run through cracks in the coral bedrock of the upper Florida Keys. McCullough’s research suggests that these rare sea salts contained traces of gold, which is generally greatly diluted in seawater.
Because gold could have been concentrated as a salt by the evaporation of seawater in nearby Florida Bay, and further collected as a heavy metal at the bottom of other basinlike lagoons, it could have been mixed into the local springwaters of the area. This discovery, together with a new understanding of the health benefits of dietary gold salts and how they can improve cell memory, sheds new light on the old legend of waters that impart immortality.
Nutritious salts are common in almost all briny lagoons in the Caribbean. Sulfur, when bonded to a metallic element, creates salts such as calcium sulfate, sodium sulfate, and potassium sulfate, which are essential tissue salts found in any healthy body. Science has discovered that tissue salts and several other important salt compounds are useful in maintaining proper health. If they are not supplied as part of our daily diet, the process of aging accelerates.
These elements do not oxidize at all, and when concentrated by the unique evaporation and flushing process of Florida Bay, they create a golden elixir that can neutralize the aging process if assimilated properly. Research by McCullough and others has helped revive a new interest in the fountain of youth. Some historians speculate that early Spanish explorers may have been close to discovering these wondrous waters, missing them in some instances only by miles.
American magician David Copperfield claimed he had discovered a true fountain of youth amid a cluster of four small islands in the Exuma chain of the Bahamas. He purchased these islands for $50 million in 2006.
“I’ve discovered a true phenomenon,” he told Reuters in a telephone interview. “You can take dead leaves, they come in contact with the water, and become full of life again. Bugs or insects that are near death come in contact with the water, they’ll fly away. It’s an amazing thing, very, very exciting.”2 Copperfield, who is now fifty-two, says that he hired scientists to conduct an examination of the mystical water, but no further information has been offered.
Property developer Michael Baumann purchased an apartment complex in downtown Miami for $8.5 million in 1998. He planned to build a luxury condominium in its place. After tearing down the older apartments on the property, he was obliged to commission a routine archaeological survey of the site. Bob Carr of the Miami-Dade Historic Preservation Division was called in to conduct the excavation. They discovered holes that had been cut into the limestone bedrock.
Surveyor Ted Riggs, upon examining the layout of these holes, theorized they were part of a circle thirty-eight feet in diameter. Excavation of the path he laid out revealed that there were indeed twenty-four holes forming a perfect circle in the limestone. Examination of earth removed from the site led to the discovery of an array of artifacts, ranging from shell tools and stone ax heads to human teeth and charcoal from fires. The Miami Circle represents the only evidence of a prehistoric permanent structure cut into the bedrock of the United States.
Signs of an ancient civilization in the Americas predating Columbus’s era and the native tribes are abundant, even if they are catalogued incorrectly or ignored. Ponce de Leon, Cabeza de Vaca, and Hernando De Soto, whether looking for the fountain of youth or mapping the state of Florida believing it to be an island, opened the door to further exploration. That exploration unearthed the remains of a city and an earthwork complex dubbed Big Mound, which is situated between the Florida Everglades and the Pitney Flatwoods.
The Mysteries of the Mississippi Mound Builders
Hernando De Soto’s encounters with giants continued as he pushed farther inland in 1539. Traveling with more than six hundred men and two hundred horses, he trekked through North Florida, the southern swamps of Georgia, and the landlocked crossroads of western Alabama. Rodrigo Ranjel, De Soto’s private secretary, wrote a diary detailing the expedition. The new lands they explored were ruled by the Native American chief Tuscaloosa.
“De Soto and fifteen soldiers entered the village, and as they rode in, they saw Tuscaloosa stationed on a high place, seated on a mat. Around him stood one hundred of his noblemen, all dressed in richly colored sleeveless cloaks and graceful feathers,” writes Ranjel of his encounter with the magnificent tribal leader. “Tuscaloosa appeared to be about forty years old. He appeared to be a giant, or rather was one, and his limbs and face were in proportion to the height of his body. He was handsome, but wore a look of ferocity and grandeur of spirit. He was the tallest and most handsomely shaped Indian that they saw during all their travels.”
The diary, first published in 1547, gives a concise account of failed peaceful negotiations and subsequent mayhem.
“As the cavaliers and officers of the camp who preceded De Soto rode forward and arranged themselves in his presence, Tuscaloosa took not the s
lightest notice of them. He made no move to rise even when De Soto approached.” Ranjel tells us that Tuscaloosa was seated on top of a mound at one end of the square, like that of a king. “After a few days of talking and watching colorful war dances, Tuscaloosa joined De Soto on their quest towards Mobile. While on the trail two soldiers turned up missing. When De Soto questioned Tuscaloosa about their whereabouts, he replied that they were not the white men’s keepers.”1
Ranjel then describes the Spaniards’ approach toward Mobile. The scouts rode out to De Soto and warned that many Native Americans had gathered for rebellion. De Soto, brave and defiant, approached the town and its high walls. A welcoming committee of painted warriors, clad in robes of skins and headpieces with vibrantly colored feathers, came out to greet them. A group of young Native American maidens followed, dancing and singing to music played on crude instruments.
De Soto entered the town with his most trusted soldiers, Tuscaloosa, and the chief’s entourage. The Spaniards stood in a piazza, surrounded by a stream of foreign colors and fluttering sounds. From here De Soto saw some eighty houses within the village. Several of them were described as large enough to hold at least one thousand people. Unknown to De Soto, more than two thousand Native American warriors stood in concealment behind the walls. After some of the chiefs from the town joined him, Tuscaloosa withdrew into the village, warning De Soto with a severe look to leave at once.
Under a hail of arrows, De Soto and most of his men retreated from the village. After regrouping and devising their strategy, the Spaniards gained entry to the village, set fire to the buildings, and massacred the city’s inhabitants.