These are a few abstracts of the first general report on our Aztlan
Exploration October 2000. The publication of the report is available for US.$
11.00 plus mail expenses.
Send your order to : Dr. A.L. Vollemaere.
Participants of AZTLAN Exploration 2000 03-21 October, 2000, were :
Our general work plan had 4 main goals :
The role and importance of women in history is often neglected. Almost always is history told by men and from a male point of view. This is also the case for mesoamerican history in general. A good example is certainly the history of the migration of the 8 Nahuatlaca, or Aztecan tribes, from mythical Aztlan in the year 1 Tecpatl or the year 1064. The most important figure was without doubt Chimalma, first lady and a kind of Queen Mother. Her sons became chief or king in Mexico. She was also the first Xiuhcihuatl, "Lady of the Year". I presume that she was never before presented as such in pre-mexican history.
In a separate contribution we will give an extended version of our, in time and length, limited paper at the "Gender Conference" of the NAU of Flagstaff, Arizona. By all means, we may say that the figure of Chimalma is certainly more than worth to write a monograph.
During a short passage at Albuquerque, New Mexico, where we were visiting my youngest son, he brought us to a bookshop. He showed us almost automatically a book in promotion. It was the "Illustrated Atlas of Native American History", Samuel Willard Crompton (general editor), edited by Chartwell Books, Inc., New Yersey 1999, 272 p. We opened the book randomly and fell on page 182. It represents a part of Henry Schenck Tanner's 1822 map, showing California, Utah, and Arizona. To our great surprise and amazement, we saw four most interesting and important inscriptions on the map:
Why is this so interesting and important?
This sentence is inscribed just beneath Rio Nabajoa in southern Utah, in the corner formed by the Colorado and San Juan Rivers, just north of the border of Arizona. This is from the beginning (1990) of our investigations exactly the region where we assumed that the heartland of mythical Aztlan was located! This was based upon several pictographic documents and ethnohistorical sources. How marvellous is it for an investigator, finding a trustful document of the early 19th century, with a confirmation of his theories and hypothesis.
We may assume that Tanner's map information of 1822 was based on serious documents and information. We are thinking hereby at certain earlier maps and reports of explorers, and also at Clavijero with his "north of New Mexico" iinformation. Making maps for the USA Government, he must be considered as a very serious and reliable cartographer.
It seems that on a later map, for example the one made for the "Treaty of Guadalupe" 1848 (John Disturnell, plagiat of Tanner's map) , there is also an indication of the former residence of the Aztecs.
Is written just beneath the ancient Moqui towns Oraybi, Masanais, Jongoapi, and Gualpa. It is good to known that the Moqui, or Hopi, the former " People of the Waterfalls" of the Colorado River, live about 320 years (we assume more years) trying to find peace in an almost splendid rock island isolation on the 3 Mesas. By the way, Río Jaquesita must be the Little Colorado River.
is situated just southwest beneath the Moqui group. We like to know more about this people for the good reason that we did several studies (*) on bearded amerindians, on the XIU, the "turquoise or green men" (with all due respect, not aliens of Mars of course). According to our studies (*) this people came from Nevada, not so far of the location indicated on Tanner's 1822 map, and homeland for the sidewinder, Crotales cerastes. We need to study this useful inscription in the near future.
(*) Vollemaere 1988f "La corrélation maya-tolteca-azteca", 1989b "La corrélation maya-tolteca-. La pierre de Motecuhzoma", 1990e "Bearded men on Maya pottery", 1993g "Maya's : Egyptenaren van Amerika".
Is written just beneath Rio Gila and above Fort Tubson (must be Tucson). It seems that we have here the Casa Grande, a Hohokam site in Arizona. Can this be correct? All what we know is the explanation given by Clavijero (<1779), confirming this location and in the same time the Aztecan link:
The big question is, was Tanner inspired by Clavijero or another, much earlier source, like for instance the1686 report of Fray Alonzo de Posada for this part of his map?
On October 11, 2000, during our Exploration 2000, we were very well received on an exceptional rainy day in Kykotsmovi (Second Mesa, Hopi Land) by the respectable members of "The Hopi Tribe, Hopi Cultural Preservation Office" and a honourable member of the Sun Clan :
Our group was composed as follows:
This cultural and scientifical meeting was arranged by phone and mail exchange between Jesse N. Marquez and Director Kuwanwisiman of The Hopi Cultural Preservation Office, and was first scheduled for Monday, October 9, 2000, but was reported to the next day for material reason. After greetings and a short introduction of Director Kuwanwisiwma, Marquez offered some material gifts. Then we payed our respect to the Hopi people, explaining that our gifts were not material but above all spiritual, adding that it was an honour and a pleasure to be received at the Office, and to be allowed to present our scientific works and writings in respect to their ancient culture and history. On previous and special request of the interested Hopi members, Marvin Lalo videotaped the whole meeting during almost two hours. The videotape was not intended for commercial, but for interior informational and educational purposes in the Hopi Office.
By means of an enlarged reproduction of Codex Boturini, or Tira de la Peregrinación, we explained the first, and most important part of the migration of the 8 Nahuatlaca, or Aztecan tribes, in the year 1 Tecpatl or 1064. Eventually one Nahuatlaca group stayed behind in Canyon de Chelly. It was the Acolhua-group, "People of the Waterfall". This was in fact the pre-Moqui (Hopi) group, their Hopi ancestors, living before the migration in the region of the Rapids of Waterfalls, just southeast of the conjunction of the Green and the Colorado Rivers. As a matter of fact, the most southern place was called "Moqui Canyon". Following this study, and another one around petroglyphs, especially the so-called Swastika-symbol (nothing to do with the Nazi regime), we made some tentative reconstructions of Hopi migrations. In ethnohistorical books we found probably a serious explanation for the dark periods in the Grand Canyon and in Tusayan, similar to the one in Teotihuacan (Valley of Mexico) and in other parts of the world. After an exchange of ideas all the members left in peace of mind with very positive feelings and with the best hope for further fruitful contacts.
The chief goal of our Exploration 2000 was of course a helicopter exploration flight in the many canyons of Wilson and Grey Mesas, north of the San Juan River. It was a quest for finding ancient ruins. During our helicopter flight in 1997 we found an important Tepaneca ruin east of the Nokai Dome, the first building of the Tepaneca group. At that time we had no budget for a GPS Receiver for fixing the exact coordinates of the site, and that was very pity. We hoped to find this ruin again for exactly fixing the coordinates.
Thanks to our generous president and sponsor, Roger DE
BROUWER, we could organize again a very expensive helicopter flight over de San
Juan River and Wilson Mesa region. Without his help it was not possible to
realize such kind of investigation. We are very grateful Roger for your
appreciated help and support!
The
helicopter exploration 2000 team was composed as follow :
We flew with helicopter pilot Mathew Stein straight ahead to Rainbow Bridge and explored systematically the canyons of Wilson Mesa, Gray Mesa, the region around Nokai Dome, Castle Creek Canyon till the road to Hall's Crossing, looking for ruins in the main canyons. Unfortunately we did not found the, what we call, "Volmarstein" ruins we detected during the helicopter flight 1997, again despite several flights in the most eastern canyons. The main reason is that there are, besides the 7 major canyons, hundreds and hundreds of smaller side canyons, what we can easily show by maps and by a lot of videotakes. We could only visit a few ones, strongly limited in time and above all in money. One needs a very large helicopter budget or a special budget for a 3 weeks boat/ hiking/ camping exploration. This should be the ideal task for an US University, mapping the canyons with an inventory of the (Anasazi/Aztecan) ruins.
Our pilot Stein, of Classic Helicopters (Page) was the first to detect a ruin with nearby a large petroglyph of a warrior and a second alcove, in East Alcove Canyon. This canyon is larger than the West Alcove Canyon. This time we could take the exact position of the site, probably a large granary. During the helicopter flight Jesse N. Marquez (Wilmington, L.A., California) took 14 positions with his brand-new Garmin Etrex Summit GPS Receiver. We give here the most important positions in regard of our Aztlan investigation :
The ruin is in fact not so little as we can see on the photographs. They show a double alcove with in the left one a greater ruin, and in the right one a kind of granary with in the background a larger construction. We see many building stones spread over the floors of both alcoves. In the foreground we have the impression that there is a pole (tree) with nearby a relative great petroglyph of presumably a warrior.
We see that a rough total estimation for the Colorado/San Juan Rivers corner indicates at least 106 Anasazi/Fremont structures/ granaries/ sites/ ruins plus at least another 77 sites, at the west and north side of peninsula Wilson Mesa, noted by the University of Utah. Convinced by all our previous studies and all the archaeological and ethnohistorical facts, we may say that this region was the center of the Aztecan and Toltecan groups. For the possible non-believers we have a question: "If these people do not belong to the Aztecan (Nahuatlaca) group, what would be then their ethnic affiliation in the Southwest USA, and where did they went, and why?"
As first conclusions we may point out that:
1) At our amazement, our gender approach of the Aztecan migration in 1064 (see separate Chimalma communication) seems to be a new opening for rewriting a more correct history of the cradle and birth of Mexico. Maybe it can be a stimulation for other investigators to look at mesoamerican history under a different, gender angle. Chimalma was a co-leader of the migration, she was also a first lady and queen mother for later Mexican leaders and kings. She was also the mother of the famous white bearded god: Quetzalcoatl! So there are now many reasons to rewrite the Aztecan migration of 1064. We hope to find the time to write a monograph on this very particular woman in the light of a new vision.
2) Our general exploration of ancient cultural regions and Amerindian ruins in Arizona and New Mexico, especially of Tuzigoot, Montezuma Castle, Sunset Crater (Aztlan migration, eruptions1064!), Wupatki with the Wukoki, Lomaki, Citadel and Natakihu ruins, Canyon de Chelly, Chaco Canyon, Pueblo Bonito, and visiting museums, etc. was very fruitful. Hundreds of photographs and about 3 hours videotakes for later study.
3) Our helicopter exploration for search of ruins was concentrated on the canyon region between the Great Bend (facing Wilson Mesa), and the eastern canyons around the Nokai Dome and Castle Creek. This is an important part of the mythical Aztlan region, north of the San Juan River.
In the heartland of Aztlan (Wilson and Grey Mesas) there are almost 200 pre-Columbian sites know today. It seems that nobody has studied them as belonging to a specific 'labeled' group. For example, we do not find a specific ethnical group name for this people. For us it is however clear since 1990, that they belonged to some, or most of the 8 Nahuatlaca, Aztecan migrating groups. This fifth exploration concludes perfectly our general AZTLAN migration approach. We can move on to other challenges.
4) Paying our respect to the Hopi People and presenting our book with all our 1990-2000 investigations about the Aztlan location and the ancient residences of the 8 migrating Nahuatlaca, which included the Hopi (Moqui, or "People of the Waterfalls") is one of the best memories of the members of our "Flemish Institute for American Cultures". This meeting gives us much hope for further fruitful contacts in the future.
5) During a short passage at Albuquerque, New Mexico, we bought a book. It was the "Illustrated Atlas of Native American History", edited by Chartwell Books, Inc., New Yersey 1999, 272 p. We opened the book randomly on page 182. It represents a part of Henry Schenck Tanner's 1822 map, showing California, Utah, and Arizona. The map belongs apparently to the Yale University Map Collection. To our great surprise and amazement, we saw four most interesting and important inscriptions on the map. The first sentence was the most important for us: "Former residence of the Aztecs", just beneath the Rio Nabajoa. Why is this so interesting and important?
The sentence, "Former residence of the Aztecs", is inscribed just beneath Rio Nabajoa in southern Utah, in the corner formed by the Colorado and San Juan Rivers, just north of the border of Arizona. This is from the beginning (1990) of our investigations exactly the region where we assumed that the heartland of mythical Aztlan was located! This was based upon several pictographic documents and ethnohistorical sources. How marvellous is it for an investigator, finding a trustful document of the early 19th century, with a confirmation of his theories and hypothesis.
We may assume that Tanner's map information of 1822 was based on serious documents and information gathered before that year. We are thinking hereby at earlier maps and descriptions, Clavijero, and above all at the expedition of Don Juan de Oñate. This is probably the first Spanish reference for the ancient residence of the Azteca Mexica. With 400 men, 83 wagons, and several thousand cattle reached the Rio Grande in April, 1598. Following the river to the north,he attempted to settle near what is now Santa Fe. A battle was fougth with the pueblo of Acoma, which on January 21, 1599, was destroyed by the Spanish. More important for us is that explorations were undertaken by Oñate reaching as far as the mouth of the Colorado River. In 1610 a history of New Mexico, partly in prose and partly in verse, was published by Captain Gaspard de Villagra, with material gathered on the Oñate expedition. Although this undoubtedly represents the first archaeological treatise on the Southwest, it is actually largely a poetic narrative of the various conquests and battles of the Spaniards, in which the battle at Acoma is recorded in great detail. Probably more than anything else this account summarized the ideas of the Spaniards regarding the origin of the Mexican cultures, for the many ruins in the Southwest were regarded as early Mexican! (source John C. McGregor 1965:34-35). Other later reports pointed also in the same direction what means that we have to take them seriously in account for our Aztlan studies.
Making maps for the USA Government is a serious business. Therefore we may conclude safely that from now on people have to accept our whole reconstruction of the Aztlan and Tollan region in Utah before 1064, and of the former residence of each one of the 8 Nahuatlaca along the Colorado and San Juan Rivers.
For more details read our Report in our publication AMERICA ANTIQUA III, December 2000.
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