Horizon Season 2002 Episode 15 Stone Age Columbus

In the Horizon season 2002 episode 15 titled Stone Age Columbus, the show explores the possibility that ancient civilizations could have traveled across the Atlantic Ocean long before Christopher Columbus did so in 1492. The episode follows the journey of two Norwegian adventurers who aim to test this theory by sailing in a replica of a Viking ship from Norway to North America.

The show highlights the prevailing understanding amongst archaeologists that the indigenous populations of the Americas are descended from migrants who crossed the Bering land bridge from Asia to North America during the last ice age. However, recent archaeological evidence suggests the possibility of a pre-Columbian contact between Europe and the Americas. The show features interviews with experts who present compelling evidence that the Colombian Exchange - the exchange of plants, animals, and pathogens between the two continents after Columbus's arrival - could have started much earlier than previously thought.

The two adventurers, Arne and Bjorn, embark on a journey to retrace the possible path of pre-Columbian exploration. The show follows their journey, from the building of the Viking ship named Saga Siglar, to the challenges they face while traversing the Atlantic ocean. The two adventurers aim to discover if an ancient culture could have sailed across the Atlantic, a feat once believed impossible with the technology available during the Stone Age period.

The documentary also features interviews with archaeologists who have studied the ancient artifacts found in the Americas, suggesting that the indigenous populations of the Americas were not solely a product of the Beringian migration. The show includes a discussion of the Solutrean hypothesis - a theory that suggests that European people traveled across the Atlantic during the Stone Age, thus influencing the culture and civilization of the indigenous people of the Americas.

As the two adventurers make their way across the ocean, they face numerous challenges, including harsh weather and dangerous sea creatures. The show provides a detailed account of their journey, emphasizing the immense difficulty involved in sailing the Atlantic in a small wooden boat. Along the way, they explore various locations that could be linked to pre-Columbian exploration, such as L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, the first European settlement in North America, and Jimena de la Frontera in Spain, an ancient site that is considered a possible starting point for a voyage across the Atlantic.

The episode concludes with the adventurers reaching their destination in North America, and discusses the implications of their journey for our understanding of pre-Columbian history. It explores the notion that history might be more complex than we previously thought, and that ancient civilizations may have interacted with one another in ways that we cannot yet comprehend.

Overall, Stone Age Columbus is an engrossing episode of Horizon, one that raises fascinating questions about the history of the Americas and the possibility of pre-Columbian contact between different cultures. It combines stunning visuals of the ocean with expert testimony, making it a must-watch for anyone interested in history or adventure documentaries.