Etzanoa: The Lost City

In June 2015, archeologist Dr. Don Blakeslee led a wide-ranging field study in central and southern Kansas. One of his primary goals was to rediscover the long-lost Native American city of Etzanoa.

He was successful.

The location, size and significance of Etzanoa — or the “Great Settlement,” as Spanish explorers labeled it after their 1601 expedition there — had become lost in the mists of time. For many decades, archeologists debated these issues.

But in recent years, Blakeslee, a Wichita State University anthropology and archeology professor, became convinced that the town inhabited by 20,000 ancestral Wichita Indians — the second-largest, or perhaps even the largest, settlement in North America in the early 1600s — was hidden in plain sight.

It was in the present location of Arkansas City, Kansas.

Tour Opportunities

Individual tours are available at Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum and are led by museum director Sandy Randel.

Group tours can be set up by contacting Visit Ark City at (620) 442-0230 or emailing visit@arkcity.org.

Contact Information

Etzanoa Conservancy
31639 US-77
Arkansas City, KS 67005
(620) 442-6750
www.etzanoa.com
Facebook page

Hours
Sunday - 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Monday and Tuesday - Closed
Wednesday through Saturday - 10:00 am to 5:00 pm