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jonahvsthewhale t1_iwzdibl wrote

Is there any validity to the theory that ancient Carthage sailed to South America?

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Bashstash01 t1_ix02oo3 wrote

No, there is no archaeological evidence that Phoenicians ever reached the Americas.

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en43rs t1_ix5h2t5 wrote

This. But IIRC we do have Herodotus writing about Egyptians telling him that Phoenicians went around Africa and that the sun was in a different position in the sky due to how south they were (which happens apparently). So it’s not impossible for an ancient circumnavigation of Africa to have taken place once.

I wonder if the South America thing comes from that.

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