The so-called classical period of canon law…

Richard Wetherill and his brother-in-law Charlie Mason discover the Indian ruins of Mesa Verde in southwestern Colorado on December 18, 1888.

A member of a prominent Colorado ranching family, Wetherill is an amateur explorer in the discovery, research and excavation of sites associated with the Ancient Pueblo People.

He is credited with the discovery of Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde and is responsible for initially selecting the term Anasazi, Navajo for ancient enemies, as the name for these ancient people.