The professor went over to a make shift shelf in the corridor and took out a binder. She opened it in front of Michael. There were a series of lines and numbers in the form of a complex graphs.

"The first amazing thing learned here about the Pueblo people's remains genetically, is their total matriarchal gene dominance."

Blake gave a puzzled look.

"It means all of the people here, in each of these giant complexes throughout he canyon, came from an original line of females genetically. Each population or mega-clan carried those genes of one ancestral woman over thousands of years and many generations"

"You're kidding me," Michael said under his breath.

"No. This is real. And as a woman, I'm thrilled by this discovery. It means that females were the primary lineage which was carefully preserved within the Chocoan culture. It seems to be consistent among all the mega clan structures throughout the canyon. People living within these clusters, like resident bases."

"So, let me get this straight. Girls were allowed to marry men outside their own large complex, but all the females living within each architectural area were descended from this original matriarchal line. In essence, the culture was matrilineal, derived from the same woman? That is an amazing find."

"Yes, Michael. But not nearly so significant as what I'm about to show you"

Twua pulled out another large notebook and opened it to similar pages of charts based on gene data.

"It's been known since around the year 2000, from early gene analysis that the Pueblo peoples here in Chaco Canyon were not the ancestors of many of the southwestern tribes, though cultural connections exist. But genetically they were totally different. Showing segments of gene data inconsistent with the Hopi, Zuni, Acoma, and especially the Navajo, who always considered them an enemy in ancient times. While there are some trace elements of their genes making their presence randomly in fragmented lines of Native Americans today, the carriers of these genes for the most part left the stage completely, taking their genetic profile with them.

"Your're kidding me. That's . . . astounding!" Michael interjected. "And quite telling. But those genetic lines had to come from somewhere, Tuwa. Who were the Pueblo's . . . the Chacoan peoples' ancesters then?"

"Well Native Americans as we know, originated from Asian cultures entering the continent at the Pacific northwest, across the ice sheets of the Bering Sea many millennia before. They migrated southward, then eastward across the Americas."

"Yeah, OK  We're certain now that occurred around 16,000 years ago."

"Correct.  But the origins of the Pueblo people, these Chocoans . . . some call the Anasazi . . . seem to be much older. And you might not guess where and from whom we found their genetic links."

"Where? Which culture?"

"The very oldest recorded on Earth."

"Seriously?  Let me guess. Somewhere off-continent completely?"

"Exactly. And impossibly distant."

"Wow. My guess then,  as unlikely as it is . . . would be the Sumerians. From the river valleys pf southern Iraq. The oldest culture known. Historically before and overlapping with the Egyptians."

"That's what I've always liked about you, Michael. You do your homework."

"Seriously, Twua? Well with all genetics aside, your must then be factoring in their cosmology, right? Their phenomenal connection to the stars?"

"Well yes. But that's your department, religiously. Nevertheless, the genetics are compelling. We've segmented extant strands of genes from that part of the world which no other Native Americans have during their time are here, but present in the remains of the Pueblos. It's a complete anomaly. And most unexpected."

"My god, Twua. This fits in perfectly with the religious and cosmological beliefs of the Sumerians. Their own connection to the Star People."

"Yes, the Annunaki."

"Exactly! The Sumerian's messenger gods. So similar culturally to the Kochina doll cult we share here inthe Southwest.

"Yes, Michael. Just look at this Sumerian artwork . . ."

Twua then flipped beyond the pages in the large notebook, past the genetic data. They all looked down upon a series 8x10 photographs of statuary and stone reliefs from museums in the Near East depicting strange creatures. Artifacts of the ancient Sumerian culture, and truly one of the oldest on Earth. 

Blake was astounded at what he saw. The beings represented were tall and human-like, but with curious heads—some triangular shaped and some looking distinctly reptilian.

"I've  studied these already in my work, Tuwa. It's so amazing! We've reached the same hypothesis from different disciplines—yours, genetic and mine anthropological and religious."

"This is so exciting, Michael!"

"The Sumerian culture is some six thousand years old. It used the same mathematics and calendar as we use today in the modern world. Their belief system  was highly linked to heavens and came from what they called messengers from the cosmos. These were perceived as gods who, as they wrote, created them as people, These Annunaki  deities also designed android helpers, their literature tells. Beings who came from the sky to help and teach their people. They gave them science, and wisdom. And even claim to have affected their genetics—empowering them with traits and abilities."

"There are paralell similarities to that scenario, that genesis  which our own shamans have kept secret for so many centuries here. Esoteric information brought to our peoples from the heavens which our leaders are reluctant to share with the white invaders of this continent,"

Twua looked critically into Blake's paler face. For the moment making him feel singled out.

"It's OK," Michael interjected. "He's actually got a great part in all of this. You can trust him."

"Good," she said, appearing relieved.

"And yet these similarities," Michael went on, "reside completely on the other side of the world, archaeologically. With only one wild explanation as to how they made their way here."

"The same way the Sumerians claim it came to them. In their deciphered scriptures . . . from the heavens."

"The similarities really are compelling," Michael said. "These android visitors the Sumerians worshiped, are claimed to have taught their people many precepts of wisdom and insights into technology and medicine. Their literature and mythology are filled with these motifs. Those of visitations and engagement with celestial beings. The Annunaki."

"This is not dissimilar to much of the guarded knowledge and some religious precepts of my people, the Hopi, and yours, the Zuni, Michael."

"Exactly."

"There are traces of this cosmology among other Southwestern tribal groups, as well. Much of it chosen by elders not to be divulged to outsiders due to our historical treatment by the government and the wealthy white land thieves who bloodied our history."

"It all seems to fit, Tuwa. What you've discovered about the matriarchal nature of these complexes. How the female genetic connection was kept so strong and central for centuries"

"Why do you say that," she asked, intrigued.

"The Sumerians believed that Ki, a female Earth deity, rising from the seas to create physical nature on land, was visited and impregnated by An, a god from the cosmos. And from their union were created people of the Earth and many of their earthy and celestial gods. Those images replicated in their art you've shown us here. The Annunaki  were their spiritual guides. Their job was to periodically return to Earth from another world. A planet they called Nibiru, to help humanity."

"Our Kachina  culture is symbolic and an interpretation of these messengers," Twua added. "They've been dominant in our dance festivals for hundreds of years."

Blake thought immediately of the Kachina doll collection back in his father's storage shed. The importance of those incongruous, symbolic artifacts, which William had so carefully preserved,  now made incredible sense.

Michael continued, excitedly. "And the fact that the Sumerian's humanity was infused with and created by the same proto-woman goddess, repeated here, as you point out . . . is highly significant. And I don't believe coincidental. What you have discovered and shared with us, Tuwa, of the the Pueblos' matriarchal culture lends more weight to ths ancient enfluence and origin."

The three were momentarily silent.

"Michael, you're aware the Pueblo people, for no confirmed reason, quickly left these architectural living clusters and moved up under the canyon walls miles away before their total disappearance. It was sort of as their last stand. Building stone structures, under the edge of the bluffs, invisible and protected . . . from the sky."

"Yes, a peculiar migration. An otherwise mysterious choice. Yet they had their reason. It seemed to be their final desperate move, finding shelter from above. Even as far north as the canyon houses of Mesa Verde in southern Colorado they sought refuge."

"Mesa Verde is exquisitely constructed. Yet also it was abandoned quickly. It too was a fortress against invasion . . . and obviously from the skies. Three and four story stone apartments built under the protection of the overhanging cliffs. Who or what were they hiding from?"

"And yet they still disappeared, Twua. Leaving little trace of where."

Michael looked up to the roofless, open sky of Pueblo Bonita, exposed for hundreds of years of abandonment.

"I think we both share a great belief in where the Pueblo people went," he said assuredly. "Our work must continue. To establish this as truth."

* * *