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"Yes In 146 BC"

"Whichthe Romans

A date is a date," Nina said, digging in her heels before she got dragged too far into Austin's theory "I simply pointed out the coincidence I made no conclusion As a scientist I'd be irresponsible to make a statement like that," she added, but she couldn't hide the exciteray eyes

Austin said, "I understand why as scientists you can't co without more solid evidence But from what I've seen here today I'est that ancient voyagers arrived in A before Colu the crossing

"I know they were the world's greatest explorers up until the fifteenth or sixteenth century They circulish coast and Cape Verde On one voyage they supposedly took thousands of people on sixty ships"

"I rest ness

"Not so fast, Perry Mason The doubters will say these inscriptions are interesting, but who's to say they are authentic? Years ago inscriptions in Brazil supposedly described a Phoenician expedition in 531 BC The consensus was that they were forged It sounds crazy, but you'll get people saying the antiquities looters could have been carving this stuff to sell to gullible collectors Sure, you could make a case that the 'ships of Tarshish' undertook transatlantic voyages, but you need et anyone in the scientific community to accept it"

"What about the astrolabe you and the professor found?"

"Even that wouldn't do it, Kurt They would say so in, an Indian stole it and stuck it in an old teot there"

"Did the writing indicate what the ships were carrying?"

"We've been saving that for last," Orville said, giggling like a schoolboy

"Oh, yes We brohat their cargo was," Chi said "The Mayan writing says it was old, and silver"

Austin looked like so the ships were loaded with treasure?"

Chi nodded

"This wasn't a routine trading expedition," Austin said, his green eyes flashing "Carthage was under siege by the Ro they could to et their hands on the royal treasury"