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Is This The Oldest Map of North America?

Posted by timothy on from the christopher-who dept.

An anonymous reader writes: "Scientists from the University of Arizona, the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, and the Smithsonian Institution have used carbon-dating technology to determine the age of a controversial parchment that might be the first-ever map of North America." Update: 07/30 03:04 GMT by T : Bill Reardon writes: "Thought you might like to know there's another story running via the AP on the map. New study says Yale University's Vinland map is a forgery. Poor Yale. First hacked by Princeton, now their map is a forgery."

4 of 33 comments (clear)

  1. columbus day still has significance. by AltaMannen · · Score: 1, Funny

    If this could be used as a way to make postal and bank workers not take a holiday the 9th of october, I'd say this is worthwhile.

  2. Re:Native Maps by Eccles · · Score: 2, Funny

    Are we to infer that the original inhabitants of North America had no map making skills?

    Yup; possums, deer, and grizzly bears are particularly poor at cartography. (Eagles are quite good at it, but refuse to give away their secrets by drawing maps.)

    --
    Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.
  3. Re:Native Maps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Redskins have heap good maps. Scale of 1 foot equal 1 foot. It right outside. Come take a look. How.

  4. No, it's not just you. by Peter+T+Ermit · · Score: 2, Funny

    It makes about as much sense as a reporter who sees that Tom Cruise is getting paid $20 million for an upcoming movie -- and then concluding that a small strip of his flesh would earn $40,000 in the role. When, of course, the small strip of flesh would do a better job.