Historians claim that Romans discovered America before Christopher Columbus. When Columbus set foot on the continent in 1492, he made history, but new evidence says ancient mariners visited New World more than 1,000 years before he did.

Scientists from the Ancient Artifact Preservation Society (AAPS) discovered a Roman sword in a shipwreck near the Oak Island south of Nova Scotia, Canada. They also found carvings of soldiers, ancient coins and native plants.

If this theory is true, then the America’s history must be revised. This shows that the continent was discovered a millennia before Columbus did.

The researchers, led by historic investigator Jovan Hutton Pulitzer, said that Roman ships visited North America during the first century or even earlier. Even though historical facts state that Columbus was the first non-indigenous person to arrive in the continent when he stepped on Bahamas in 1492, Pulitzer insists that Romans landed there first.

“Today, the Ancient Artifact Preservation Society (AAPS) announces its support for a study that suggests the presence of ancient mariner civilizations traveling to the Americas,” AAPS posted in its website.

Pulitzer claims that the sword is 100 percent confirmed.

“The ceremonial sword came out of that shipwreck,” he said. “It is one incredible Roman artifact.”

He came across the sword when a man contacted History Channel’s “The Curse of Oak Island” show. A man and his son discovered the sword when they went scalloping off Oak Island.

“The father kept it for decades, and when he died it went to his wife, then his daughter. Then when she died many years later it went to her husband,” he added.

The husband contacted the program and decided to show them the sword. When they examined the sword, they were sure it was similar to ancient Roman artefacts and according to forensic tests, the sword was made of ore.

Pulitzer began testing the sword using an XRF analyser, a known archeological tool for metal analysis. He found that the sword was actually made from ore that came from the ground. Nova Scotia, Canada, is home to thousands of unexplored shipwrecks dating back to 18th and 19th century. Though they are aware of the exact location of the shipwreck, it is still not explored since it lies in the territory of Nova Scotia. They firmly believe, however, that it is Roman.

According to Pulitzer, historians often dismiss such facts by saying the “sword must have been dropped by collectors.” He said that if someone dropped a rare collector’s item near Oak Island at just 25 feet deep, he would dive down to get it.

Historians demonstrated the sword is more than mere coincidence. To prove this, they examined the area around Nova Scotia. They also took into consideration archeological records for comparison and looked at Mi’kmaq people, the indigenous natives of Nova Scotia who lived in the island for more than 8,000 years. The DNA markers of these people were one of the rarest in the world, coming from ancient Levant.

According to the report, a number of carved images by the Mi’kmaq on walls of caves in the Island show Roman legionnaires marching with swords and ships. Aside from that, they found that around 50 words in Mi’kmaq language were similar to ancient nautical sailing words utilized by ancient mariners in the past.

He insisted that all these things were related to each other. For example, a bush named Berberis Vulgaris, a Canadian invasive species, were actually used by ancient Roman mariners to season their food. Now, it grows in Oak Island making all these symbols “more than just mere coincidence.”

Aside from these findings, they also found other things that attest to their theory. There were stones, a Roman legionnaire’s whistle, a metal boss in the center of a Roman shield, and a Roman head sculptures. All were found in countries in America.

“I think as humans we have evolved enough to be able to handle the truth now. It’s time for theory to be reflected by hard science. Even if there’s no gold inside Oak Island – it’s a trillion-dollar treasure we are uncovering in history for our children and grandchildren,” Pulitzer concludes.