Bronze artifact found on Alaska's Seward Peninsula

[ellisonz]

In this Nov. 2, 2011 photo provided by the University of Colorado, a prehistoric bronze artifact is shown at the University Of California, Davis. A University of Colorado at Boulder research associate says in a release that the artifact found at Cape Espenberg resembles a buckle and may have been used as part of a harness or horse ornament before it reached Alaska. John Hoffecker says a piece of leather wrapped around the object gave a radiocarbon date of about A.D. 600. (AP Photo/University Of Colorado)

Bronze artifact found on Alaska's Seward Peninsula
By DAN JOLING - Associated Press | AP – 23 hrs ago

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A research team is attempting to discover the origin of a cast bronze artifact excavated from an Inupiat Eskimo home site believed to be about 1,000 years old.

The artifact resembles a small buckle, researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder said in an announcement. How it got to Alaska remains a mystery.

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"It would be incredibly significant if there were metallurgy in Alaska, but I just don't see that being here," Mason said.

The house site is within the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and the origin of the piece more likely was Korea, China, Manchuria or southern Siberia. Early Inupiat Eskimos in northwest Alaska might have brought the object from the other side of the Bering Strait about 1,500 years ago, the researchers said, and passed it down through generations.

http://news.yahoo.com/bronze-artifact-found-alaskas-seward-peninsula-012113020.html

[uppityperson]

1. AD 600? cool. k&r for very cool

[aquart]

2. There is a book originally titled "Pale Ink"

Which insists that the Chinese "Classic of Mountains and Seas" describes a journey along the Kamchatka current from China down the west coast of the Americas with frequent stops to see redwoods, Grand Canyon, and other sites unique to these continents.

[ellisonz]

7. Interesting.

I wouldn't rule Metz's theory out totally.

[AsahinaKimi]

8. I have heard this as well

Off the bay in San Francisco were some stone anchors found. They look exactly like those used by early Chinese Junks.

[StarsInHerHair]

3. nice! wonder when the South Antarctic land bridge will become common

knowledge?

[jimlup]

4. Wow! I'm guessing someone traded someone and it slowly migrated across

But I'm unaware of movement between the continents.

[brooklynite]

5. So, Mormon, right?

[ellisonz]

6. Yes, Joseph Smith predicted this...

...with the help of Xenu. ;)