Richard Wetherill, Anasazi - (Pioneer Explorer of Southwestern Ruins) by Frank McNitt (Paperback)

About the Book

Biography of the man who discovered the prehistoric ruins at Mesa Verde, Colorado, and began the excavation of Pueblo Bonito at Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.

Book Synopsis

Anasazi, the Navajos' name for the "Ancient Ones" who preceded them into the Southwest, is the nickname of Richard Wetherill, who devoted his life to a search for remains of these vanished peoples. He discovered the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde and Kiet Siel and the Basket Maker sites at Grand Gulch, Utah, and at Chaco Canyon he initiated the excavation of Pueblo Bonito, the largest prehistoric ruin in the United States. His discoveries are among the most important ever made by an American archaeologist.

From the Back Cover

Anasazi, the Navajos' name for the 'Ancient Ones' who preceded them into the Southwest, is the nickname of Richard Wetherill, who devoted his life to a search for remains of these vanished peoples. His discoveries are among the most important ever made by an American archaeologist.

Review Quotes

"McNitt has compressed a slice of western history, a lucid chronicle of pioneering archaeology, and the dramatic story of a group of fascinating characters. He writes with a genuine feeling and appreciation for the country in which Richard Wetherill lived out his turbulent years."

"Valuable as well as interesting. An important contribution to the history of American archaeology."

"McNitt had compressed a slice of western history, a lucid chronicle of pioneering archaeology, and the dramatic story of a group of fascinating characters. He writes with a genuine feeling and appreciation for the country in which Richard Wetherill lived out his turbulent years."