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Re: chicken in America: from Asia? (cont.)



Note that the problem is compounded by the early Spanish explorers apparent
failure to differentiate linguistically between turkeys and chickens. At
times they are apparently called gallinas. At other time, they are called
gallinas del Pais. They even call them pavos occasionally. I find it
interesting that Iberville when he is exploring the Gulf Coast of the
Southeastern US in 1700 or so, finds the Bayougoula Indians of Louisiana
raising chickens as sacred birds rather than for domestic consumption. One
would think that if the chicken were introduced by way of the Spaniards,
that they would have adopted the Spanish attitude toward chickens as food
sources. As far as I know, there was no explanation of where these chickens
had come from. When I read Gailliard McWilliams translation of Iberville's
Journals, I immediately thought about Carter's article in Man Across the
Sea. I did not see any evidence there of what the Indians called the
chickens but I suppose that such may be found since the French in this
period were putting together word lists of some native Languages. See Jean
Beranger's word list for an Indian group on the Texas Coast made about
1718. While the linguistic evidence that is put forth is imposing, only
discovery of actual remains in datable pre-Columbian sites will put this
argument to rest. However, if chickens were not a Pre-Columbian
introduction, their rapid spread may give some real insight into cultural
diffusion that will upset many cherished beliefs. Wayne Childers

Yuri Kuchinsky <yuku@io.org> wrote in article <5996v4$j01@news1.io.org>...
> agdndmc@showme.missouri.edu (DomingoMartinez-Castilla) wrote:
> : In article <5940oc$1as@news1.io.org>, yuku@io.org (Yuri Kuchinsky)
wrote:
> 
y

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