W. R. McAfee
Copyright © by W. R. McAfee, Sr.  All rights reserved

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OPINION

I stumbled across a footnote for the Great Atlantis Search in an old Arizona Highways article (Circa 1940s)—“Ancient Manuscripts on American Stone” by William Coxon—one afternoon while looking for something to read in a waiting room in Houston, Texas.  
 
Coxon, a photographer and archaeologist who died in Arizona in 1963, traveled to Mexico in the late Thirties and stopped by the Mazatlan tourist information center to gather information for a presentation for the locals when he returned home. While there, he encountered Don Manuel, an archaeologist and Aztec who researched ancient history; his in particular. Finding out Coxon was from Arizona, he asked him to take some pictures of certain petroglyphs there when he got home and send them to him and, if he would come by his office the following day, they would talk about it. 

Coxon wrote he wasn’t sure what petroglyphs Don Manuel was talking about, and so borrowed some information at the hotel where he was staying. The next day he met with Manuel and told him he was sure there were no petroglyphs in Arizona. It was then Manuel relayed to him his Aztec legend: 

“. . . according to the legends of my ancestors, the Nahuatl tribes came to this continent from Atlantis, and crossed overland to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. Later, they migrated from there to the Valley of the River Gila, and established their first capital. After living there several centuries, they migrated onto the Mexican Plateau. You will find their petroglyphs in Arizona.” 

When Coxon returned to his hometown, he made a talk to the Rotary about his trip, spoke of his encounter with Don Manuel, and asked that if anyone had seen petroglyphs of this nature to let him know after the meeting. To his surprise, several men approached and told him where he could find them. 
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