A New Zealand laboratory has been given the job of dating a Chinese ancient map which could revolutionize the views on who discovered New Zealand, Australia and the Americas, according to a local TV report on Tuesday.

Until international publicity about the ancient map in the past few days, the radio carbon-dating unit of New Zealand's Waikato University had no idea how important the parchment was, said NZTV.     

Experts believe the analysis has the potential to indicate a famous Chinese explorer discovered America before Christopher Columbus. It would also reinforce theories that the Chinese were the first to discover Australia and New Zealand.

Steve Behrendt, a historian, said the theory, which had been around for the past decade or so, was popularized in a book in 2003 called 1421.

The theory is back in the spotlight again with a map that supporters say adds weight to the idea that the Chinese discovered America.

Waikato University is one of the leading laboratories in the world with radio carbon analysis and a tiny scrap of paper currently being analyzed has provoked intrigue and controversy as far away as Britain and the United States.

Gunnar Thompson, a researcher of ancient maps and early explorers, said if the map was genuine it would revolutionize thinking about 15th century world history.

(Xinhua News Agency January 18, 2006)