Search

ARCHIVES
CONTACT US
WORLD NEWS

UA researcher tracing ancient Coronado trail

A researcher in the Arizona State Museum is conducting a historical and archaeological investigation that will hopefully illuminate the expedition of Francisco Coronado through the Southwest between 1540 and 1542.

"There are lots of artifacts out there," said John Madsen, who has been conducting research on the trail since 1985. "I have only scratched the surface, and if I had the time and the money, I could find twice as much stuff."

During the period that Madsen is examining, the Spanish were scouring the Southwest looking for the fabled seven cities of gold.

The expedition has been written about for many years, and there have been various routes proposed for this expedition.

Finding this desert trail that about 1000 people trekked nearly 500 years ago has proven to be a difficult task, Madsen said.

"I'm confident that someday someone will find portions of the route in Arizona or New Mexico," said Madsen, a senior research specialist.

In order to gain this information, Madsen distributed flyers throughout southern Arizona with a picture of a Spanish colonial horseshoe in the hopes that a hiker, farmer or outdoorsman might recognize an artifact. Madsen began receiving communications from Southeast Arizona within a week of this distribution.

Madsen found that the horseshoe photograph that he distributed was not exclusive to the 15th century, but was diagnostic of the Spanish period in the Southwest.

He has recovered 99 artifacts, about 40 percent of which are Spanish. Among these artifacts, none to date can be placed in the Coronado period.

However, the data that he has recovered has shed light on a later trail, known as the Zunigat trail, that went through Tucson.

This trail is named after Jose Zunigat, the presidio captain between 1798-1801.

There is a diary associated with Zunigat that has led to a great deal of information about the trail.

It was created by people trying to make a new route from Tucson to Sonora because the traditional route along the Rio Grande had high tariffs. The Sonorans wanted to enter into the trade business associated with Santa Fe.

A part of this trail is still visible as it was heavily used by raiding Apaches for many years.

This expedition by Zunigat was probably the last Spanish expedition in the United States. In 1821, they were sent back to Spain.

The Zunigat diary described this trail to the finest detail, and it has great historical significance because of the use by the Spanish and because it was a prehistoric trail for the Zuni Indians.

Madsen hopes to publish a book a year from now about the Zunigat trail and the associated diary.

"By documenting the later Zunigat trail, I will have a better idea of how to look for Coronado," Madsen said.

He believes that the methods he is using on this 18th century trail will shed light on how to find a 16th century trail.

"What's interesting is most (researchers), at least in 1985, if you said you were trying to find Coronado camps, would have laughed at you," Madsen said.

A very complete camp recently found however, has changed this view.

This camp was mentioned in many period writings and many artifacts were left behind because a powerful storm descended on the camp forcing the Spanish to hastily withdraw.

One site that many people are looking for is known as Chichilticale, an Indian fort widely believed to have marked the beginning of the trail.

"My idea is that these Spanish soldiers coming out of Mexico City to go on this expedition were familiar with the huge dwellings of Mexico Proper," Madsen said. "But when they described Chichilticale, they described a massive fortress."

Madsen believes that this fort is either located in Mexico, or it is in complete ruins.

"For John, this is a labor of love," said Arizona State Museum Director George Gumerman. "He is integral to our mission."