Island of Seven CitiesIsland of Seven Cities
Where the Chinese Settled When Theydiscovered America
Title rated 3.65 out of 5 stars, based on 14 ratings(14 ratings)
Book, 2006
Current format, Book, 2006, , All copies in use.Book, 2006
Current format, Book, 2006, , All copies in use. Offered in 0 more formatsThe Island of Seven Cities unveils the first tangible proof that the Chinese settled in the New World before Columbus.
In the summer of 2002, architect Paul Chiasson decided to climb a mountain he had never explored on Cape Breton Island, where eight generations of his Acadian family had lived. One of the oldest points of exploration and settlement in the Americas, with a written history dating back to the first days of European discovery, Cape Breton is littered with remnants of old settlements. But that day Chiasson found a road that was unique. Well made, consistently wide, and at one time clearly bordered with stone walls, the road had been a major undertaking. But he could find no record of it. In the two years of detective work that followed, Chiasson systematically surveyed the history of Europeans in North America and came to a stunning conclusions: the ruins he had stumbled upon - an entire townsite on a mountaintop - did not belong to the Portuguese, the French, the English, or the Scots. And they predated John Cabot's 1497 "discovery" of the island.
Using aerial and site photographs, maps and drawings, and his own expertise as an architect, Chiasson re-creates how he pieced together the clues to one of the world's great discoveries: a large Chinese colony that existed and thrived on Canadian shores well before the European Age of Discovery.
Toronto-based architect Chiasson was born on Cape Breton Island and is a direct descendent of the Acadians who were among the first European settlers in the New World. In the summer of 2002, while on a hike on Cape Breton, he stumbled across the unmarked remnants of an ancient road. Through two years of extensive research and site visits, he pieced together the mystery of his discovery--that the road was part of a large Chinese colony that existed long before Europeans explorers arrived--which he documents in this text. Illustrated with b&w maps, photographs, and diagrams. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
The Island of Seven Cities unveils the first tangible proof that the Chinese settled in the New World before Columbus.
In the summer of 2003, architect Paul Chiasson decided to climb a mountain he had never explored on Cape Breton Island, where eight generations of his Acadian family had lived. One of the oldest points of exploration and settlement in the Americas, with a written history dating back to the first days of European discovery, Cape Breton is littered with remnants of old settlements. But that day Chiasson found a road that was unique. Well made and consistently wide, and at one time clearly bordered with stone walls, the road had been a major undertaking. But he could find no record of it. In the two years of detective work that followed, Chiasson systematically surveyed the history of Europeans in North America and came to a stunning conclusion: the ruins he had stumbled upon – an entire townsite on a mountaintop---did not belong to the Portuguese, the French, the English, or the Scots. And they predated John Cabot’s 1497 “discovery” of the island.
Using aerial and site photographs, maps and drawings, and his own expertise as an architect, Chiasson re-creates how he pieced together the clues to one of the world’s great mysteries: a large Chinese colony existed and thrived on Canadian shores well before the European Age of Discovery. He addresses how the ruins had been previously overlooked or misunderstood, and how the colony was abandoned and forgotten, in China and in the New World. And he discovers the traces the colony left in the storytelling and culture of the Mi’kmaq, whose written language, clothing, technical knowledge, religious beliefs, and legends, he argues, expose deep cultural ties to China.
A gripping account of an earth-shaking discovery, The Island of Seven Cities will change the way we think about our world.
The Island of Seven Cities unveils the first tangible proof that the Chinese settled in the New World before Columbus.
In the summer of 2003, architect Paul Chiasson decided to climb a mountain he had never explored on Cape Breton Island, where eight generations of his Acadian family had lived. One of the oldest points of exploration and settlement in the Americas, with a written history dating back to the first days of European discovery, Cape Breton is littered with remnants of old settlements. But that day Chiasson found a road that was unique. Well made and consistently wide, and at one time clearly bordered with stone walls, the road had been a major undertaking. But he could find no record of it. In the two years of detective work that followed, Chiasson systematically surveyed the history of Europeans in North America and came to a stunning conclusion: the ruins he had stumbled upon - an entire townsite on a mountaintop---did not belong to the Portuguese, the French, the English, or the Scots. And they predated John Cabot's 1497 "discovery" of the island.
Using aerial and site photographs, maps and drawings, and his own expertise as an architect, Chiasson re-creates how he pieced together the clues to one of the world's great mysteries: a large Chinese colony existed and thrived on Canadian shores well before the European Age of Discovery. He addresses how the ruins had been previously overlooked or misunderstood, and how the colony was abandoned and forgotten, in China and in the New World. And he discovers the traces the colony left in the storytelling and culture of the Mi'kmaq, whose written language, clothing, technical knowledge, religious beliefs, and legends, he argues, expose deep cultural ties to China.
A gripping account of an earth-shaking discovery, The Island of Seven Cities will change the way we think about our world.
In the summer of 2002, architect Paul Chiasson decided to climb a mountain he had never explored on Cape Breton Island, where eight generations of his Acadian family had lived. One of the oldest points of exploration and settlement in the Americas, with a written history dating back to the first days of European discovery, Cape Breton is littered with remnants of old settlements. But that day Chiasson found a road that was unique. Well made, consistently wide, and at one time clearly bordered with stone walls, the road had been a major undertaking. But he could find no record of it. In the two years of detective work that followed, Chiasson systematically surveyed the history of Europeans in North America and came to a stunning conclusions: the ruins he had stumbled upon - an entire townsite on a mountaintop - did not belong to the Portuguese, the French, the English, or the Scots. And they predated John Cabot's 1497 "discovery" of the island.
Using aerial and site photographs, maps and drawings, and his own expertise as an architect, Chiasson re-creates how he pieced together the clues to one of the world's great discoveries: a large Chinese colony that existed and thrived on Canadian shores well before the European Age of Discovery.
Toronto-based architect Chiasson was born on Cape Breton Island and is a direct descendent of the Acadians who were among the first European settlers in the New World. In the summer of 2002, while on a hike on Cape Breton, he stumbled across the unmarked remnants of an ancient road. Through two years of extensive research and site visits, he pieced together the mystery of his discovery--that the road was part of a large Chinese colony that existed long before Europeans explorers arrived--which he documents in this text. Illustrated with b&w maps, photographs, and diagrams. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
The Island of Seven Cities unveils the first tangible proof that the Chinese settled in the New World before Columbus.
In the summer of 2003, architect Paul Chiasson decided to climb a mountain he had never explored on Cape Breton Island, where eight generations of his Acadian family had lived. One of the oldest points of exploration and settlement in the Americas, with a written history dating back to the first days of European discovery, Cape Breton is littered with remnants of old settlements. But that day Chiasson found a road that was unique. Well made and consistently wide, and at one time clearly bordered with stone walls, the road had been a major undertaking. But he could find no record of it. In the two years of detective work that followed, Chiasson systematically surveyed the history of Europeans in North America and came to a stunning conclusion: the ruins he had stumbled upon – an entire townsite on a mountaintop---did not belong to the Portuguese, the French, the English, or the Scots. And they predated John Cabot’s 1497 “discovery” of the island.
Using aerial and site photographs, maps and drawings, and his own expertise as an architect, Chiasson re-creates how he pieced together the clues to one of the world’s great mysteries: a large Chinese colony existed and thrived on Canadian shores well before the European Age of Discovery. He addresses how the ruins had been previously overlooked or misunderstood, and how the colony was abandoned and forgotten, in China and in the New World. And he discovers the traces the colony left in the storytelling and culture of the Mi’kmaq, whose written language, clothing, technical knowledge, religious beliefs, and legends, he argues, expose deep cultural ties to China.
A gripping account of an earth-shaking discovery, The Island of Seven Cities will change the way we think about our world.
The Island of Seven Cities unveils the first tangible proof that the Chinese settled in the New World before Columbus.
In the summer of 2003, architect Paul Chiasson decided to climb a mountain he had never explored on Cape Breton Island, where eight generations of his Acadian family had lived. One of the oldest points of exploration and settlement in the Americas, with a written history dating back to the first days of European discovery, Cape Breton is littered with remnants of old settlements. But that day Chiasson found a road that was unique. Well made and consistently wide, and at one time clearly bordered with stone walls, the road had been a major undertaking. But he could find no record of it. In the two years of detective work that followed, Chiasson systematically surveyed the history of Europeans in North America and came to a stunning conclusion: the ruins he had stumbled upon - an entire townsite on a mountaintop---did not belong to the Portuguese, the French, the English, or the Scots. And they predated John Cabot's 1497 "discovery" of the island.
Using aerial and site photographs, maps and drawings, and his own expertise as an architect, Chiasson re-creates how he pieced together the clues to one of the world's great mysteries: a large Chinese colony existed and thrived on Canadian shores well before the European Age of Discovery. He addresses how the ruins had been previously overlooked or misunderstood, and how the colony was abandoned and forgotten, in China and in the New World. And he discovers the traces the colony left in the storytelling and culture of the Mi'kmaq, whose written language, clothing, technical knowledge, religious beliefs, and legends, he argues, expose deep cultural ties to China.
A gripping account of an earth-shaking discovery, The Island of Seven Cities will change the way we think about our world.
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