Phoenicians discovered America 2000 years before Columbus?

Columbus, credited with the discovery of Americas, may not have been the first to set foot on the continent, says a British explorer, claiming that Phoenicians actually beat him by 2,000 years.

Christopher Columbus, the poster boy Renaissance explorer found fame and fortune by sailing from the ‘Old World’ to the ‘New’, crossing the great unknown waters between Spain and the Caribbean in 1492.

In an ambitious voyage that could challenge maritime history, former Royal Navy officer Philip Beale hopes to sail a replica Phoenician boat 10,000 kilometres across the Atlantic.



Beale aims to demonstrate that the Phoenicians – a Semitic civilisation that prospered between 1500BC and 300BC on the Mediterranean coast – sailed to the Americas first, CNN reported.

“It is one of the greatest voyages of mankind and if anyone could have done it [before Columbus], it was the Phoenicians,” said Beale.

“Of all the ancient civilisations they were the greatest seafarers – Lebanon had cedar trees perfect for building strong boats, they were the first to use iron nails, and they had knowledge of astrology and currents,” he said.

The prospect of sailing a 50-ton wooden vessel identical to those built 2,600 years ago across the Atlantic might appear foolhardy.

However, Beale has already sailed the replica boat – named The Phoenician – around Africa in 2010, in a bid to demonstrate the ancient civilisation had the capability to circumnavigate the continent 2,000 years before the first recorded European, Bartolomeu Dias, in 1488.


The replica boat is seen here arriving in Cape Town, South Africa. The crew battled everything from six-meter waves to pirates during the incredible journey. Source: CNN


It wasn’t the first time Beale recreated history. In 2003 he sailed a replica 8th century Indonesian vessel, known as a Barobudur ship, 19,000 kilometers from Jakarta to Ghana. Source: CNN

Read the full article at: phenomenica.com

I thought the Vikings came to North America before Columbus?

They probably did also. There have even been Egyptian relics found in some ruins across America which would suggest there was trading going on for a very, very, very long time before Columbus.

Also, I remember visiting museums in Egypt, one in particular had a boat (Can't remember the museum or the boats name) that was built stronger than columbus's boat that he used to cross the Atlantic.

I'm curious, does American history still credit Columbus for discovering America before anyone else? Or has this one been laid to rest?

Spyro wrote:

They probably did also. There have even been Egyptian relics found in some ruins across America which would suggest there was trading going on for a very, very, very long time before Columbus.

I curious, does American history still credit Columbus for discovering America before anyone else? Or has this one been laid to rest?

Good question. I think so. We do still have Columbus Day. I guess arguably the Vikings came to North America but went back home. They didn't really settle here. Columbus' re-discovery, on the other hand, was the event that began significant colonization by the Europeans.

The Dutch came to Australia before Captain James Cook.....so?
Some one has to be first, it all depends on how keen they are to claim it for what ever riches there might be....Obviously the dutch were not too worried about claiming it as they were doing a roaring trade with spices from Indonesia and didn't need another country to worry about...( well, that's what I think anyway)