What began as a routine archaeological survey near Farmington, New Mexico, turned into something extraordinary under the glow of a full moon. Was it a vivid dream, a Navajo ceremony echoing through time, or did a lone researcher truly slip into a window to the year 1050 AD?

“I think I experienced a time warp. This has only happened to me once, but it was pretty impressive. I left the U.S. Marines in 1971 and returned to the University of New Mexico. I worked on a couple of archaeological field schools as a photographer. Initially, I was an archaeology major, but I decided to switch to anthropology while taking classes in archaeology. One of my professors offered me the opportunity to take a couple of semesters off to work with the Museum of New Mexico, conducting survey work. So, I dropped out of school, went up to Santa Fe, and ended up surveying a coal mining area near Farmington.

I worked on the San Juan Power Plant, which spread across the river from the Four Corners Power Plant. The lease covered approximately 2 miles in width and 8 miles in length. My partner and I spent several weeks surveying the entire area on foot. The guy I was working with was a bit unpredictable, so I decided to stay on the lease instead of going into town, as it was becoming increasingly dangerous.

One night, while I was sleeping in my tent under a full moon, I heard singing and drumbeats coming from about a quarter mile away. I could see a large campfire and, against the cliff face, shadows of people dancing. There were also figures moving on the ridge in the moonlight. This went on for two or three hours. At that time of year, the Navajo people hold a nighttime ceremony called the Squaw Dance, where girls ask boys to dance, and it's considered an issue if you decline.

Around 2 or 3 in the morning, the sounds quieted down. The next morning, my partner hadn't shown up yet. He often arrived late, so I decided to hike over to check out what I had witnessed the night before. To my surprise, there were no tracks at all, nothing. I stood amidst untouched ruins from around 1050 AD. The soil was mainly compacted shale, which typically shows tracks very well, yet there was nothing. It was all very vivid in my mind. I walked back to my tent, and that was the end of it.” T