58 PARK SCIENCE • VOLUME 27 • NUMBER 2 • FALL 2010 Science Feature A 16th-century Spanish inscription in Grand Canyon? A hypothesis

By Ray Kenny

HE AMAZING JOURNEY OF Francisco Vásquez de Coronado Tis well-known to historians as well as afi cionados of the human history at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. A handful of Spaniards sent by Coronado from New Mexico fi rst visited the Grand Canyon in September 1540. The story of the fi rst visitation is told in many books and is based upon interpretations from George Parker Winship’s 1892 translation of the accounts of Coronado’s journey written by members of the expedition (De Coronado 1892). As told by Winship in an introduction to the account of Coronado’s journey:

It was perhaps on July 4th, 1540 that Coronado drew up his force in front of the fi rst of the “Seven Cities,” and after a sharp fi ght forced his way into the stronghold, the stone and adobe- Spanish conquistador DRAWING BY FREDERIC REMINGTON; PHOTO COPYRIGHT CORBIS built pueblo of Hawikuh, whose ruins can still be traced on a low hillock a few miles southwest of the village now occupied by the New Mexican Zuñi village and returned to Coronado with air line across to the other bank of the Indians. Here the Europeans camped the information he had secured from the stream which fl owed between them. for several weeks. … A small party was Native Americans. Upon learning about sent off toward the northwest, where the news of a large river in the arid lands, The exact location where Cárdenas and another group of seven villages was found. … As a result of information Coronado dispatched Don Garcia Lopez his party fi rst saw Grand Canyon, in the found here [at the villages], another de Cárdenas with 12 companions to go see words of J. Donald Hughes (1978), “is not party journeyed westward until its this river. Cárdenas and his party returned known.” The location where Cárdenas progress was stopped by the Grand to the Native American village loaded and his men fi rst laid eyes upon Grand Cañon of the Colorado, then seen for the fi rst time by Europeans. with provisions because they had to travel Canyon was described in the account of through a desert before reaching their des- Coronado’s journey as tination, which the Native Americans said Coronado had dispatched Don Pedro de elevated and full of low twisted Tovar to one of the seven villages with was more than twenty days’ journey. pines, very cold, and lying open toward the north, so that, this be- 17 horsemen and 3 or 4 foot soldiers. At After they had gone twenty days they came to the banks of the river. It seemed ing the warm season, no one could the village, Tovar obtained information to be more than 3 or 4 leagues [a unit of live there on account of the cold. about a large river to the west. Tovar was distance equal to about 3 miles] in an not commissioned to go farther than the SCIENCE FEATURE 59

Most historians, based on this meager and rim Cárdenas’s men visited and explored. of water, and they returned to Coronado’s ambiguous description, have surmised What we do know is that Cárdenas’s men camp. that Cárdenas arrived at the South Rim of Grand Canyon in the area between Moran spent three days on this bank looking Point and Desert View (e.g., Bartlett 1940) for a passage down to the river. It was impossible to descend, for after the Historical (fi g. 1). Historians have reasoned that this three days Captain Melgosa and one interpretation and area best fi ts the vague description and the Juan Galeras and another companion, area would have been along an old Native made an attempt to go down at the reevaluation American trail. However, many areas along least diffi cult place, and went down until those that were above were unable the south canyon rim have “low twisted to keep sight of them. They returned So where was this enigmatic location where pines” and have vistas that “open toward … in the [late] afternoon, not having the Spaniards sought to fi nd passage to the the north.” Additionally, almost any route succeeded in reaching the bottom on river? Where along the South Rim did the account of the great diffi culties which you take approaching the main canyon rim early Spanish explorers descend “about a they found, because what seemed easy from the south results in traveling up in from above was not so, but instead very third of the way” down off the rim? With- elevation. Furthermore, old Native Ameri- hard and diffi cult. They said they had out additional evidence beyond the vague can trails also led to many other locations been down about a third of the way description from the account of Coronado’s and that the river seemed very large along the entire length of the South Rim, journey, it may be a question without an from the place which they reached. including the western sections of the south answer. But is it possible that the Spanish ex- canyon rim. In reality, the accounts of the plorers left a clue to mark their visitation site? exploration are too general with respect to Upon their return to the south canyon rim, distance, directions, and natural features the Native American guides convinced the Examples of the Spaniards’ presence in to pinpoint what parts of the south canyon party to travel no farther because of lack the New World in the form of inscriptions,

Figure 1. Grand Canyon National Park and surroundings. The gold star marks the historically accepted location where Spaniards fi rst viewed Grand Canyon. 60 PARK SCIENCE • VOLUME 27 • NUMBER 2 • FALL 2010

COPYRIGHT 2010 RAY KENNY religious artifacts, and related infl uences can be found throughout the text describ- ing the journey of Coronado, and as relics throughout southwestern North America. However, the small party that was sent to see the river traveled long distances, for 20 days, and was led over vast arid areas without much water. In reality, they may have been limited in their ability to adequately mark their passage. If indeed the Spaniards left some evidence of their passing, the inadequate and “open-ended” description of their journey (which could describe just about any place along the south canyon rim) would make searching for any evidence of their passing extremely diffi cult—indeed, it would be like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack! Figure 2. The inscription in the Esplanade Sandstone is about 50 miles (80 km) west of Although historians have suggested that Desert View in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Perceptible weathering, a diminutive lichen colony growing inside some of the engraved letters, the Spanish- or Portuguese- the Spaniards fi rst viewed the canyon near derivative words, and a comparison with 16th-century Spanish calligraphy suggest that the Desert View (based in part on known inscription may have been carved by early Spanish explorers from the Coronado expedition in Native American travel routes), it seems the year 1540. The scale marker is 13 cm (approximately 5 in.) in length. equally reasonable to suggest that the Native Americans would not lead the Spaniards to the area near Desert View One old trail, in particular, readily allows and worn inscription an engraving from because they had established travel routes travel below the canyon rim down to the the fi rst Spanish explorers? that led directly into the canyon and over top of the Esplanade Sandstone (which is to holy salt deposits and the sacred Sipapu about one-third of the way down from the The inscription is carved into the Espla- (near the confl uence of the Little Colorado rim to the river). However, travel from the nade Sandstone at an awe-inspiring can- River). Certainly, the Native Americans Esplanade Sandstone down to the river is yon ledge with an unobstructed view of could easily have led the Spaniards to the only accomplished via a much less distinct the river and the North Rim. While there river via several routes. Instead, as others trail. In contrast, the trails that descend is not much detailed information from the have suggested, they may have been trying from the south canyon rim near Desert original account of the descent, one thing to take the Spaniards on a longer, more ar- View do not have any obvious impassable seems clear: the three men who made the duous journey with the hopes of convinc- areas about one-third of the way down descent off the rim were able to see the ing the foreigners to leave the area entirely. from the rim that would have stopped the river from the point at which they stopped Hence, it seems equally plausible that the Spanish explorers from making the jour- (about a third of the way down from the Native Americans led the Spaniards along ney to the Colorado River. South Rim). At the inscription site, there is routes that might lead them far away from a clear and unobstructed view of the river. their most sacred areas. Additionally, early Native American trails led to the far west- The inscription The inscription is not far from an old Na- ern reaches of present-day Grand Canyon, tive American trail that could have been some 50 or more miles (>80 km) west of In the 1990s while working on permitted used to lead the Spaniards all the way Desert View (fi g. 1). Some of these old Na- research related to the geology of the area, down to the river. The route is relatively tive American trails (west of the present- I found an inscription (fi g. 2) that may easy to follow from the south canyon rim day South Rim Village) descend into the provide a clue to the location where the to the top of the Esplanade Sandstone canyon, have vistas of the river, are char- Spanish explorers fi rst tried to descend to (Supai Group), but the route from the acterized by “low, twisted pines” along the the Colorado River. Is the old, weathered, Esplanade down to the Colorado River is rim, and open to the north and northwest. not readily obvious and could easily have SCIENCE FEATURE 61

been overlooked by the three explor- ers (Captain Melgosa, Juan Galeras, and another companion). Indeed, an alterna- tive route, one that does not lead to the Colorado River but instead leads to an old Native American dwelling or hunting site (now a ruin near a hidden spring) would likely have been the most obvious route for the men to follow. If the explorers continued on a northward trend toward the river, following what might appear to be the most direct route, they would have Figure 3. The “stone-cut” inscription is juxtaposed with an example of lettering from a arrived at the prominent cliff that now 16th-century Spanish manuscript. The sample letters come from the writings of Francisco Lucas, a Spanish lettering master who penned the renowned Spanish manuscript “Arte de bears the simple inscription. The cliff and Escrevir” (around 1577). The block letter samples (lower left) are from Lucas’s 16th-century the inscription are less than a mile (<1.6 Spanish roman lettering; the lowercase letter samples (lower right) are from Lucas’s 16th- km) beyond the old occupation site near century Spanish round gothic style. The stone-cut inscription letters “N,” “T,” “E,” “V,” the narrowest part of the sandstone prom- “I,” and “D” all display slab-style serifs similar to the 16th-century Spanish roman lettering. ontory. (Note: the exact location of the Slab-style serifs refer to the small decorative strokes that cross the ends of letters, visually inscription has been purposely omitted creating a “square” or “block-like” appearance. For example, this capital “T” does not have slab serifs, whereas this “T” does. The letter “m” in the stone-cut inscription seems similar from this article.) to the lowercase letters of Lucas’s 16th-century Spanish round gothic style, but was inscribed as a capital letter. The tops of the letters show a high degree of horizontal alignment, which Although the inscription is worn from may be a result of a guideline drawn (or etched) across the top prior to engraving. This was centuries of exposure, two Spanish- or typically done during the early years of calligraphy to better align the letters. Portuguese-derivative words are still visible: “stone-cut” inscription in Grand Canyon The letters “N,” “T,” “E,” “V,” “I,” and MONTE VIDEO. with some of the writings of Francisco “D” all display slab-style serifs and Lucas (a Spanish lettering master who resemble 16th-century Spanish roman The exact “old Spanish” meaning of penned the renowned Spanish manuscript lettering (slab-style serifs refer to the small the words is unclear and may be lost to “Arte de Escrevir” around 1577). One must decorative strokes that cross the ends time, but “monte” could be translated as take note that the 16th-century writing of of letters, visually creating a “square” or “mount” (as in mountain); “video” may be Francisco Lucas was not incised in stone; “block-like” appearance; fi g. 3). At the very loosely translated as “seer” or “sighted” or in comparing the lettering of the stone-cut least, engraving serifs takes patience, time, possibly even “view.” The location of the engraving to the writing of Lucas, allow- and attention to detail. inscription does have a spectacular view ances should be made for the diff erent ma- of the topographically higher North Rim terials in which the letters were originally The letter “O” does appear to be slightly (perhaps interpreted as a mountain?). executed. Nevertheless, there are numer- smaller than the other characters, which ous similarities between the stone-cut was also typical for this time period. inscription and the 16th-century Spanish Calligraphic calligraphy (fi g. 3). In particular, consider The tops of the letters (especially in the the following style comparisons. word “MONTE”) show a high degree of considerations horizontal alignment, which may be the The letters of the inscription appear to The letter “M” in the Grand Canyon result of a guideline drawn (or etched) be written in an artistic and elegant style, inscription consists of a series of verti- across the top prior to engraving. This was which suggests that the inscriber(s) took cal strokes that converge at a horizontal typically done during the early years of great care and pride in making the inscrip- guideline at the top of the letter. This calligraphy to better align the letters before tion, and the style of lettering appears to style is similar to the 16th-century Spanish engraving. resemble the block letter calligraphy of round Gothic letters, although the style of 16th-century Spanish writings (Brown the stone-cut “M” more closely resembles The Esplanade Sandstone near the in- 1921). Figure 3 shows a comparison of the a lowercase lettering style (fi g. 3). scription site is also soft enough to permit 62 PARK SCIENCE • VOLUME 27 • NUMBER 2 • FALL 2010

engraving with the steel weapons the Spaniards likely would have carried with This enigmatic inscription suggests that the intrepid them. Also, the explorers probably would Spaniard may have traveled to this point more than have had the time to carve the inscription and return to the rim by late afternoon. I 470 years ago. tested the “temporal” part of this theory and easily traveled (in late August and early September) from the rim to the inscription site and back up to the rim in a ideal for obtaining meaningful exposure algae, and the fungal component of lichen few hours. dates, and the methodology is primarily bears root-like rhizines, the hypha that used for material that has been exposed anchor fungi to the surface and subsur- for a much longer time. Other quantitative face. The rhizines penetrate into sandstone Inscription age measurement techniques, such as in situ interstices (tiny openings between the weathering rinds and optically stimulated sand grains and the cement holding them Does the inscription truly date from the luminescence dating also require much together) and gradually pry apart (i.e., 16th century? Again, this may be a question longer exposure. As such, no attempt physically weather) the rock substrate. without an answer. Certainly, the ability has been made to quantify the age of the Disintegration of the substrate is also to obtain weathering rates on exposed inscription in Grand Canyon because accomplished chemically by an increase rock would be very useful for determining established methodology is not applicable. in (phenolic) acidity in the microenviron- the age of the inscription. Unfortunately, ment generated by the lichen. The rate at obtaining accurate weathering rates for I have previously worked on research which physical and chemical disintegra- such a short span of geologic time is dif- related to the biogeophysical and bio- tion can proceed depends in large part fi cult at best. Successful research endeav- geochemical weathering of old inscrip- on the sustained availability of water or ors have mostly used independent proxy tions carved into sandstone (Kenny and moisture: the more arid the climate (or data to verify weathering rate estimates. Lancour 2001). I undertook the work on microclimate), the slower the disintegra- For example, in the 1970s Peter Birkeland more than 200 inscriptions dating back tion or weathering rate. estimated the age of glacial deposits us- to 1806 at Autograph Rock in Oklahoma ing lichen (Rhizocarpon geographicum) in an eff ort to quantitatively determine The inscription at Grand Canyon (1) is growth rates. However, the growth rate the primary contributing factor leading to fully exposed to the elements—that is, of lichens varies as a function of climate their weathering and degradation (Kenny no vegetation or rock outcrop provides and microclimate, and studies that assume 2000). (The site is part of the Santa Fe any shade or microclimate; (2) is in a constant growth rates without correlating National Historic Trail and, like the letters semiarid to arid climate; and (3) has only them with known weathering rates in the at Grand Canyon, these are carved in minor lichen growth in only a few of the same geographic location are probably sandstone.) The primary agent destroying inscription depressions. In spite of the unreliable. Lichen cover at the inscription the historical inscriptions was lichen. The area’s natural aridity and the inscription’s is minimal, which is consistent with an microclimatic zones along the 30-foot-high minimal to nonexistent lichen cover, the arid climate, making it hard to measure. (10 m) outcrop at Autograph Rock were inscription does exhibit some degree of Signifi cantly, the error range associated variable, resulting in some inscriptions— enhanced weathering (e.g., the “DEO” in with this dating method is greater than the those with more lichen cover—show- “VIDEO”). While the climate has likely maximum potential age estimate of the ing greater weathering, and others of varied over the last few centuries, with inscription. comparable age—though with less lichen both drier and wetter intervals (Cook et cover—appearing fresh and surprisingly al. 2004), environmental conditions at the More recently, cosmogenic (i.e., atmo- unaltered. inscription location are conducive to a spheric exposure) age dating has been relatively slow disintegration or weather- developed and successfully applied to Admittedly the climate in Oklahoma is ing rate. This might result in a sandstone geomorphically young surfaces. This tech- diff erent from that of northern Arizona, inscription that is legible, even after sev- nique relies on the measurement of cos- but the percentage of lichen cover may still eral hundred years. mogenic nuclides (e.g., 36Cl, 3He, 10Be) that be the primary factor leading to enhanced build up in rock as soon as it is exposed disintegration of sandstone. Lichen is a at the surface. However, sandstone is not symbiotic relationship between fungi and SCIENCE FEATURE 63

Other historical one of several old routes that could have Bartlett, K. 1940. How Don Pedro de Tovar fi gures been used by the Native American guides discovered the Hopi and Don Garcia Lopez to escort the Spaniards to Grand Canyon de Cárdenas saw the Grand Canyon, with Historians have established that the Span- and down toward the Colorado River. notes upon their probable route. Plateau ish priest Francisco Tomas Hermenegildo The scant description of the site where the (12):37–45. Garces roamed extensively in Arizona in Spanish fi rst saw Grand Canyon could be Brown, F. C. 1921. The Project Gutenberg e-book the years 1768–1781 (Coues 1900). In 1776, applied equally to any number of South of letters and lettering: A treatise with he traveled along what is now referred to Rim locations and is not unique to the 200 examples. Bates and Guild, Boston, as the Hualapai Trail and visited the Village Desert View area, which some historians Massachusetts, USA. http://www.gutenberg. of Supai in what is today western Grand have suggested was the most likely descent org/fi les/20590/20590-h/20590-h.htm. Canyon. Father Garces commented and location. The argument and preliminary Cook, E. R., C. A. Woodhouse, C. M. Eakin, refl ected on countless observations in evidence presented here suggest that the D. M. Meko, and D. W. Stahle. 2004. Long- his extensive diary, including the natural area near Desert View may not have been term aridity changes in the western United “barrier which nature had fi xed,” but no where the Spaniards fi rst laid eyes upon States. Science 306(5698):1015–1018. mention is made of an entrada into Grand Grand Canyon. Rather, the Native Ameri- Coues, E. 1900. On the trail of a Spanish pioneer: Canyon aside from the one into the Village cans may have led the Spaniards to a south The diary and itinerary of Francisco Garces. of Supai. Though it is possible that Father canyon rim area far from the Desert View Francis P. Harper, New York, New York, USA. Garces did venture into the Grand Canyon area trails that led into the canyon and De Coronado, F. 1892. The journey of Coronado, at other locations, it becomes problematic down to their most sacred sites. 1540–1542, from the city of Mexico to to suggest that he made the inscription the Grand Cañon of the Colorado and without so much as one historical refer- So is this weather-worn and elegant in- the Buffalo Plains of Texas, Kansas, and ence to support this supposition. scription carved in sandstone an engraving Nebraska. Translated by G. P. Winship. from Captain Melgosa, Juan Galeras, or Reprinted 2007 by Kessinger, Whitefi sh, It is also possible that the inscription was the unknown companion? Did the three Montana, USA. carved during the 1800s by an unknown ancient Spaniards leave a clue to their la- Hughes, J. D. 1978. In the house of stone traveler or travelers who descended from bors, stand at this daunting point, and gaze and light. Grand Canyon Natural History the South Rim into the canyon proper— out into the abyss for the last time before Association, Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA. perhaps led by one of the early Grand leaving the canyon forever? We may never Canyon pioneers or guides. If this were know for sure, but this enigmatic inscrip- Kenny, R. 2000. The geology of Autograph Rock. Unpublished Resource Management the case, the architect of the inscription tion suggests that the intrepid Spaniards Report. National Park Service, Grand Canyon may be lost to history. But it begs the ques- may have traveled to this point more than National Park, Arizona, USA. tion, why would such a traveler inscribe a 470 years ago. Spanish- or Portuguese-derivative phrase? Kenny, R., and H. Lancour. 2001. Petrography Furthermore, I fi nd it especially curi- and permeability of the Mesa Rica Sandstone ous that of all the known inscriptions in at Autograph Rock, Oklahoma. Abstract. Acknowledgments Geological Society of America, 53rd Rocky Grand Canyon, this is the only Spanish- or Mountain Section Meeting, 29 April–2 May Portuguese-derivative inscription yet to be The manuscript was improved by com- 2001, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. found. ments and editorial reviews from Jan Bal- som, Mike Anderson, and Scott Thybony. About the author Summation References Ray Kenny ([email protected]) is a The “MONTE VIDEO” inscription in the professional geologist and a professor of Esplanade Sandstone in Grand Canyon is Anderson, M. F. 1998. Living at the edge: geology at Fort Lewis College in Durango, clearly worn from centuries of subaerial Explorers, exploiters, and settlers of the Colorado, and has worked and hiked exposure to an arid to semiarid climate. Grand Canyon Region. Grand Canyon extensively in Grand Canyon. The elegant and meticulous lettering Association, Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA. arguably resembles the surviving examples Babbitt, B. 1978. Grand Canyon: An anthology. of 16th-century Spanish calligraphy. The Northland Press, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. remote location of the inscription is near