Buried Cities, Forgotten Gods: William Niven's Life of Discovery and Revolution in Mexico and the American Southwest"I will go no further," William Niven's Indian guide declared. "Beyond on every ridge, as far as you can see is all a part of one great City of the Dead . . . the gods will permit no man to go further and from here I return." Niven, however, did continue on and discovered a remarkable expanse of ruins in the rugged state of Guerrero along Mexico's western coast. During the early 1890s, Niven's explorations were sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History. Later, he continued to explore on his own. His photographs, letters, diaries, and newspaper accounts are now the only source of information on many sites that were later destroyed by grave robbers, neglect, and the turmoil of the Mexican Revolution in 1911. His later discovery of twenty-six hundred inscribed stone tablets in the Valley of Mexico aroused considerable controversy, and inspired James Churchward to put forth an occult interpretation of the origins of the Native Americans in The Lost Continent of Mu (1926). They remain controversial to this day. The writer Katherine Anne Porter frequented Niven's excavations in the Valley of Mexico and based her first published short story, "María Concepción," on her experiences there. She would write that the "Old Man never carried a gun, never locked up his money, sat on political dynamite and human volcanoes and never bothered to answer his slanderers. He bore a charmed life. Nothing would ever happen to him." Niven was planning a book about his experiences, but was unable to complete it because of ill health. Buried Cities, Forgotten Gods is based upon his surviving manuscripts and personal papers. |
Contents
To America 18651879 | 1 |
The Land of Snow and Silver 18791885 | 9 |
New York City and Llano County 18861889 | 21 |
18901900 | 27 |
Guerrero Uprising May 1901 | 91 |
The Chilpancingo Earthquake January 1902 | 97 |
Cacahuamilpa Caves February 1901 | 101 |
6oo Miles through Guerrero with Governor Mora October 1903 | 107 |
Charlatan November 12 1916 | 173 |
Atzcapotzalco 1919 | 177 |
The Volcano 19201921 | 185 |
Mongoloide Tlachichíque and Tecpaneca 1911 | 195 |
19211923 | 211 |
Inscribed Tablets and Partitioned Skulls 19111914 | 213 |
Tampico 19241926 | 223 |
Ludovic Mann and J H Cornyn 19261927 | 233 |
Placeres del Oro 19041905 | 113 |
La Lucha Mine MayAugust 1906 | 123 |
The Death of Dr Nevin 19061907 | 127 |
Down the Balsas 19081909 | 135 |
Placeres del Oro June 1910 | 141 |
The Arrest of William A Niven May 1911 | 147 |
Atzcapotzalco 19091912 | 151 |
Down the Balsas to the Pacific NovemberDecember 1911 | 157 |
Arrest September 31913 | 163 |
Invasion May 26 1914 | 167 |
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Common terms and phrases
½ meter American Museum AMNH April archaeological arrived artifacts Atzcapotzalco Austin Aztec Balsas River Barr 31 August barranca Barringer Hill boat Buried Cities camp Chilpancingo chronology Coyuca de Catalán Cuautla Cuernavaca December diggings discovery Dudley excavations feet FJN/RHH/RSW Fox to WN George Collinson Glasgow Guerrero Head Terra-cotta Houston hundred inches Indian James Churchward January July June Katherine Anne Porter KBN history letter Llano County Lost Continent Manuel Gamio March Mexican Herald Mexico City miles mineral mining Morelos mountains Museum of Natural Natural History Nellie Niven photo Niven returned Niven wrote November Otatlán party photographs Placeres del Oro PMAE/RHH/RSW prehistoric Ramón Mena reported RHH/RSW Río Rio del Oro rose garnet ruins San Miguel Amantla September skulls Sylvanus Morley Tampico Texas Thomas Gann tion undated newspaper article Valley of Mexico visited William Niven WN journal 11 WN to Barr WN to George WN to John WN's Xochipala York City