Relics of Explorer's Ship Wrecked at Drake's Bay in 1595 Reveal Historic Data
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 18 (UP) - The important historical discovery of corroded ship's spikes and fragments of 16th century Chinese porcelain on the shore of Drake's bay in Marin county was disclosed this week.
Dr. Robert F. Heizer of the University of California department of anthropology said the fragments probably were relics of the expedition of the navigator Sebastian Rodriguez Cermeno, whose ship San Agustin was wrecked at Drake's Bay inlet in 1595.
"We believe therefore that we have recovered convincing, direct physical evidence of contact between California Indian aborigines and exploring Europeans in 1595 - 346 years ago.
Heretofore the earliest positive dating of Indian-European contact material has been from the beginning of the mission period, about 1775. We have now pushed our chronology back almost two centuries beyond."
The relics were unearthed at the Estero mound and other Indian shell mounds overlooking the Limantour arm of Drake's bay - discovered by the English explorer, Sir Francis Drake, in 1579.
It was near the Estero mound that Drake was believed to have set up his "plate of brass," claiming the coast of California in behalf of Queen Elizabeth. The plate of brass was found in 1936.
Dr. A. L. Kroeber, head of the department of anthropology at the University of California, told the California Historical Society that the porcelain relics were definitely identified as belonging to the Wan Li period extending from 1573 to 1619, and the "late Ming made for export," extending from 1550 to 1644.
Cermeno visited Drake's bay only 16 years after it was discovered by the Englishman.
"Anthropologists can now definitely date the native culture of the Estero mound as of around 1495. Therewith we can date comparable Indian cultures elsewhere in California as being of the same period as dissimilar ones as earlier and later," said Dr. Kroeber.
No comments:
Post a Comment