Who else could have discovered America?

Before Christopher Columbus arrived in what came to be known as the Americas in 1492, there were numerous other individuals that could have "discovered" the continents in various contexts. The term "discovered" is in quotes because it's important to recognize that the Americas were already populated by indigenous peoples who discovered and settled these lands thousands of years prior. Some potential discoverers include:

1. Norse Vikings: Led by Leif Erikson around the year 1000, Norse explorers from Greenland and Iceland are known to have reached and briefly settled areas of North America, particularly present-day Newfoundland, which they called Vinland.

2. Polynesians: There is some evidence, though still debated, that Polynesian explorers could have reached the shores of South America centuries before Columbus. This is inferred from similarities in artifacts and genetic links between Polynesian populations and some indigenous groups in South America.

3. Asian Explorers: There have been hypotheses about Asian mariners reaching the Americas due to genetic, botanical and linguistic similarities. However, concrete evidence for such contact is lacking.

4. European Fishermen: Some theories suggest that European fishermen, especially from Portugal and the Basque region, might have reached parts of the northeastern Americas before Columbus due to their fishing expeditions, though this was not officially documented.

5. Islamic Explorers: There are theories that propose that Muslim seafarers could have reached the Americas before Columbus, but this remains in the realm of speculation with no strong historical or archaeological evidence.

It is important to distinguish between undocumented or little-known voyages and those that led to sustained contact, colonization, and historical recognition.