Age of Discovery

QUESTION -- We know from Viking artefacts discovered at L'Anse Aux Meadows in Newfoundland that Europeans in fact were in the New World some 500 years before Columbus. And yet word of this event set off no "Age of Discovery." Why not?

Eanna McAteer gives a model answer.

The fact that no "Age of Discovery" occurred at the time of the Vikings arrival at L'Anse Aux Meadows in Newfoundland had to do with the fact that there was very little, if any, way of communicating from one area to another, other than speech. However, it is the difference in evolutions amongst different countries and continents which resulted in Europeans or Eurasians in doing the major of discovering and colonising in those times.

The author Jared Diamond in his book Guns, Germs and Steel attempts to chart the reason for the differences in evolutions and why Eurasians were able to spread globally and dominate in both terms of wealth and power. Eurasian explorations took them to the Americas, Australia and Southern Africa and as a result different rates of evolution occurred.

It can all be traced back to the time of the Ie Age around 11000 BC. At that time all humans were hunters and gatherers who existed in the Sonte Age. However, following the Pleistocine Era the people of Europe and Africea began to establish ways of agriculture, herding and political organisations. The Americas on the other hand were slow to follow suiot and languished in the Stone Age as the other continents moved into the Iron Age.

It was for this reason that it was relatively easy for Eurasians to inhabit the Americas. In the head-to-head of Iron Age versus Stone Age there was always going to be only one winner. At this stage the Eurasians were capable of invading with guns and iron weapons while Native Americans couldonly defend with stone tools. An added advantage for Eurasians was the ability to ride on horseback, something the Americans hadn't evolved to.

However, the major weapon the Eurasians had was germs. Viruses were endemic in EUrope and while Europeans were able to build up resistance and immunity to them, once they brought them abroad, they were deadly. Viruses spread from tribe to tribe in advance of the Eurasians coming.

Europe was technically farther ahead of the Amercas and had the ability to build ocean-going ships which were funded and staffed by political organisations. This made exploring new lands easier. In Europe forms of writing had been created and this enabled successful explorers to chart their success in writing by sending maps, logs or other information to future expeditions.

A lot of Europe's success at exploring was a reslt of their ability to adapt and evolve quickly. By domesticating plants and animals, they were able to use these to their advantage. Although the domestication of plants and animals was an advantage, it was latter proven to be the major culprit in spreading viruses such as TB.

The lack of an "Age of Discovery" lends itself more to the inability for humans to evolve at a certain rate. The fact the Vikings were unable to communicate back to other would-be explorers meant that help such as maps and directions weren't available to them. It was only later on when they capability of printing came about, that word got back about discovery. While it may seem unfair that it is Columbus who is credited with his discovery of America in 1492 even though he wasn't the first, it was the lack of evolution which prevented the Vikings from establishing contact with others.

However, in the modern age we live in, and with the combinations of science, technology and archæology it is important to recognise the achievements of others even though it is not commonly known. The discovery of the Viking artefacts at L'Anse Aux Meadows is just one of the many clarifications discovered in this modern era.

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Jared Diamond -- Guns, Germs and Steel ISBN 0099302780
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