Nordenskiold of Mesa Verde

This Comprehensive Biography Of Gustaf Nordenskiöld By Judith And David Reynolds Appears 111 Years After His Death. It Is Noteworthy In View Of His Contributions In Different Fields: Mineralogy Crystallography Arctic Exploration Anthropology And Scientific Photography. Previously Known Primarily In His Home Country Sweden And In The American Southwest NordenskiöldS Life And Work Has Deserved Broader Attention. The Reynolds Have Placed The Achievements Of This Young Scientist In The Context Of His Family And His Cultural Background. Tragic Developments Led Serendipitously To His Meticulous Exploration And Exquisite Documentation Of The Mesa Verde Culture. An Important Base For The Reynolds Study Is The Extensive Collection Of Letters And Documents That The Family Has Been Pleased To Place In The Hands Of These Dedicated And Skillful Authors. Nordenskiöld In Addition To His Monumental Study Of The Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings Published A Brief Popular Account In Swedish Of His Travels In The Far West. His Mesa Verde Travel Journal Was Compiled And Translated By My Father Dr. Olof Arrhenius And Used By Florence And Robert Lister In Their Informal Publication Stones Speak And Waters Sing. However The Full Record Of NordenskiöldS Life Is Presented Here By The Reynolds For The First Time The Reynolds Have Matched Private Sources With Far-Reaching Archival Work In Sweden Finland And The United States. They Have Rescued These Combined Historical Records From The Dust Of The Past And Rendered Them As A Vivid And Captivating Life Story. The Family Of My Maternal Grandfather Gustaf Nordenskiöld Is Deeply Grateful To The Reynolds For Their Achievement And Together With The Scientific Community Celebrate The Appearance Of This Biography In 2006 The Centennial Year Of Mesa Verde National Park. - Gustaf Arrhenius Scripps Institution Of Oceanography La Jolla California January 18 2006