Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2015 June 1

Welcome to the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

June 1

Pre Spanish Colonial written characters, that predate Tagalog [Filipino Language], by a Millenia.

Hello. I wish specific factual information, on the pre Spanish Colonization written characters, of the pre Tagalog [Filipino Language] characters in use about 1000 AD or earlier. Thanks. LI FU RAN, Ph.D. (talk) 05:05, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

We have a whole article (with a few further references at the bottom) dedicated to that topic at Baybayin.--William Thweatt ^TalkContribs 05:09, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

There is also Buhid alphabet, Hanunó'o alphabet, Tagbanwa alphabet, Kulitan alphabet. However none of these scripts (including Baybayin) date to 1000 AD. They are estimated by some to have originated in the mid-to-late 13th century, at the earliest, although a much later date is probable. The oldest known writing in the Philippines is in the Old Javanese or Kawi script which dates to the time period you are asking about.[1] You may also find this to be of interest: Indic Scripts of Insular Southeast Asia: Changing Structures and Functions--William Thweatt ^TalkContribs 06:37, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

Circumnavigation of the Europe-Asia-Africa land mass

We don't often think of it in this way, but Europe-Asia-Africa is one contiguous land mass - the Suez Canal aside. My questions are:

• Does this land mass have a name? Eurasica, perhaps?
• Has anyone ever circumnavigated it? If so, who was the first?

Thank you. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 07:12, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

Old World (one possibility) also links to the clunky-sounding Afro-Eurasia, which in turn provides the equally vile Eurafrasia. Clarityfiend (talk) 07:50, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

Thanks. That led me to Vega Expedition. Those people had the basic idea, but they cheated and left out Africa. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 08:25, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

The land masses that combined to form these continents have names - Pangaea, Gondwanaland and others. It is more than just Europe/Africa/Asia - the bulge of Brazil fits into the Bight of Benin in West Africa because they were originally joined but drifted apart. 87.81.147.76 (talk) 11:32, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

Yes, thanks, I know something about continental drift and tectonic plates, but this is not really relevant to my question. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 11:59, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

• I do not know the answer to your question, but I am willing to guess that it's someone listed in List of Russian explorers, since sailing the Russian Arctic coast would be the hardest part of the journey. --M@rēino 14:48, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

(e/c with GH Myrtle below) That assumes anyone has done it at all. A scan of that list was not fruitful, but thanks for the idea. I'd have thought it would be such a major undertaking - probably second only to a circumnavigation of the entire globe - that it would be very well known. I'm thinking it's never been done; I can't even find any evidence anyone's ever even tried and failed. I'm sure there'd be some intrepid travellers who've sailed in all or most of the waters surrounding this enormous World Island at various times in their lives. But doing the complete circuit in one discrete voyage? Maybe I'd better get in touch with Guinness World Records. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 21:30, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

But what constitutes a single voyage ? Are they not allowed to put in for supplies ? BTW, I think a submarine might be best equipped for the job, since it can go under the ice (although with global warming, perhaps a clear channel can be found more easily now). StuRat (talk) 05:19, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

I wasn't thinking of a voyage under controlled conditions such as might apply in a record attempt, e.g. no stopping or assistance. Just getting it done at all would be a first, apparently. But I hadn't thought of submarines, I must admit. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 05:41, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

The first circumnavigation of the Americas was only in 1970. I suppose it's possible that a circumnavigation of Afro-Eurasia has never been undertaken. Ghmyrtle (talk) 21:27, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

...and the first solo circumnavigation of the Americas was by Matt Rutherford in 2012. Ghmyrtle (talk) 21:36, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

They're both listed in our List of circumnavigations. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 21:53, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

• Well, folks, I've come to the conclusion that it's never been done. I'm struggling to believe that I'm the first person in history to whom the concept has occurred, but I can find no evidence that anyone else has preceded me (apart, perhaps, from the Vega Expedition, but they blotted their copybook by taking a short cut; or maybe they never even considered including the African leg). Strange. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 22:41, 5 June 2015 (UTC)

I'm sure the concept has occurred to people, but the difficulties encountered in navigating the northeast or northwest passages simply made it not worth the candle. 87.81.147.76 (talk) 17:52, 6 June 2015 (UTC)

Yet those parts didn't pose insuperable problems for the Vega Expedition. And I know that countless vessels have traversed those very waters. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 21:07, 6 June 2015 (UTC)

Resolved