Crimson Cowboys: The Remarkable Odyssey of the 1931 Claflin-Emerson Expedition

In 1931, a Harvard University expedition embarked on a six-week, four-hundred-mile horseback survey of prehistoric sites in the American Southwest. Despite being successful, a report on the findings was never completed. This book recounts the expedition's adventures, based on over a thousand pages of documents and over four hundred photographs, and confirms the sites through extensive fieldwork.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 30 January 2019
Publisher: University of Utah Press,U.S.

In 1931, a remarkable archaeological expedition embarked on a six-week, four-hundred-mile horseback survey through the rugged American Southwest. Led by Harvard University's Peabody Museum, this pioneering venture aimed to explore prehistoric sites that had never been thoroughly investigated before. Despite its success, the expedition's findings were never fully documented, leaving a gap in the annals of American archaeology.

However, over seventy years later, the story of this extraordinary expedition is finally being told. Drawing upon a vast collection of over a thousand pages of documents and over four hundred photographs, authors Spangler and Aton have painstakingly reconstructed the day-to-day adventures of the crew. Comprising one professor, five students, and three Utah guides, this team braved scorching heat, exhaustion, and the treacherous canyon wilderness to uncover remnants of the Fremont culture in the Tavaputs Plateau and Uinta Basin areas.

To ensure the accuracy of their findings, the authors conducted extensive fieldwork to verify the locations and photographs of the original expedition. Their recent photographs, alongside those from the 1930s, are showcased on these pages, providing a visual glimpse into the past.

The expedition's discoveries were groundbreaking, shedding light on the rich cultural heritage of the region. It revealed intricate rock art, ancient structures, and artifacts that provided valuable insights into the lives and beliefs of the Fremont people, who thrived in the Southwest for centuries before being displaced by European settlers.

This book serves as a tribute to the resilience and determination of the expedition's crew, as well as to the untold stories of the American Southwest that have remained hidden for decades. It is a reminder of the importance of preserving and exploring our cultural heritage, and of the incredible discoveries that can be made when we push the boundaries of knowledge and exploration.

Weight: 956g
Dimension: 215 x 240 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781607816492