THEY GAME Before GOLUMBUS = THE AFRICAN PRESENCE IN ANCIENT AMERICA IVAN VAN SERTIMA “Brilliantly, 1 think, [Wan Sertima] has demonstrated that there is far more to black history than the slave trade... . There is nd agetion but that the book is a landmark.” —Joun A. er a5“FASGINATING.” —The Adantic Monthly "AN IMMENSELY IMPRESSIVE BOOK WELL-WRITTEN AND GLEAR.” —Essence , I icy Came Before Columbus revels a conipeling, dhannauid aial arebly detailed documentation of the presence and legacy of Africans in ancient beeween Native *Ainenca, Exarnining: navigation and. shipbuilding; calenral analogs ‘Americans and Afficans; the transportation of plants, animals, and textiles berween the cbntineniedind the diseies, journals, and oral aécouints.of the'expléters cheanlves; barkal Wan Seria builds 4 pyramid of endence’te aipport his dhim of an Altican presence in the New World centuries before Columbus. Combining impressive scholarship with 2 novelis’s gift Briaorytelling, an Sertiona re-creates wome of dhe mast powedlal scenes of humar history: the launching of the great ships of Mal in 1310 (cwo hundred maser boats and two hundred supply boats), the sea expedition of the Mandingo king in 1311, and matty chins. In They Came Before Cobinbuis, we ste' dearly che uniiistakable face and handprint of black Africans in pre-Columbian America, and their overwhelming impact’on: the evilizations they encountered, “I can’t praise this book enough! I kept shaking my head over its power” —Isumaet Reep “Compreherisive and convincing ... 2 big boost to black cultural history.” —Publishers Weekly IVAN VAN SERTIMAY pioncering work in linguistics and anthropology has appeared in numerous scholarly journals, Professor Van Sertima teaches Afro-American seudies at Rutgers University. Join our history/biography newsletter by - sending a blank e-mail to HISTORY sub_rht-history@info.randomhouse.com fr visit www.atrandom.com ‘Cover design: Allison WarnerABOUT THE AUTHOR IvaN VAN SERTIMA's pioneering work in linguistics and anthro- pology has appeared in numerous anthologies and journals. He is a regular contributor to the Inter-American Review, has pub- lished a collection of poems, critical essays and a Swahili Dic- tionary of Legal Terms, and has written on the subject of the African presence in Pre-Columbian America for The New York Times. Professor Van Sertima teaches at Rutgers University.