Historic Mysteries of Western Colorado

Book excerpt: From Mesoamerican mysteries to local legends, history waits to be unearthed on Colorado’s western slope . . . A crew of historians, archaeologists, and scientists, the Western Investigations Team uses ground-penetrating radar, electron microscopy, innovative metallurgic research, and newly discovered documents to re-examine fascinating historical questions and contribute new chapters to history. This book offers stories of their fascinating work, accompanied by many photos. Revelations include discovering new evidence in the infamous case of Alferd Packer, aka the “Colorado Cannibal,” and old Spanish colonial relics near Kannah Creek. Investigators follow the trail of lost Spanish explorers searching for the Seven Cities of Gold, and pursue archaeological signs of a prehistoric civilization north of Collbran. Expeditions search for the legend of the Utes’ Cave of the Ancients and the fabled location of Aztlán, the Aztecs’ original homeland. These and other tales offer an intriguing new look at the history of western Colorado.