HISTORY BOOKS tell us that Portuguese explorer Diaz was the first seafarer to round the Cape in 1488. But… some things don’t fit.
For instance, how did yams and bananas, originally from Indonesia, end up in West Africa by the 1st millennium? There is no disputing the fact that Indonesians migrated to Madagascar and brought their spices to Africa.
8th century reliefs show ocean-going craft that are capable of the journey. Philip Beale constructed one using ancient methods and it left Indonesia in Aug 2003 and reached Cape Town in Jan 2004.
Proof that the first explorers were from Indonesia rather than Europe.
(Popular Mechanics, Mar 2004)
