Civilizations reaching or settling Antarctica before the 19th century? | AskHistorians Archive Observer

Civilizations reaching or settling Antarctica before the 19th century?

by [deleted]

Is there any evidence of any civilizations reaching or settling Antarctica before the 19th century? I read once that a Captain Fairchild once wrote a letter claiming he uncovered pottery and glass under the ice. Is there any other story's or evidence like this?

Searocksandtrees

FYI there have been a few questions about possible discoveries of Antarctica; check these out for some previous responses:

Could there have been a civilization in Antarctica?
History of... Antarctica.
Was it ever possible for prehistoric humans to reach Antarctica?
Do we know or do we have any evidence of any Peoples or societies that existed on the Antarctic landmass before it got covered in ice?
Is it possible that the native inhabitants on the Tierra del Fuego peninsula explored or saw Antarctica before Europeans. Such as the Selknam
Did Yaghan people know about Antarctica?
The theory that Piri Reis' 1513 First World Map depicts Antarctica is widely dismissed, but a US seismological survey strongly supported it. Could it be true?