The Hidden City of Death Valley

Mummies – Giants – Underground Caverns!

So exclaimed a San Diego, California newspaper in 1947, capturing the public’s imagination with a sensational tale emerging from the desolate landscape of Death Valley.

Death Valley, a name that conjures images of scorching heat and unforgiving terrain, is indeed a land of extremes. It holds the distinction of being one of the hottest, driest, and lowest places on Earth. Summer temperatures routinely soar well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and its history is etched with stories of human suffering and resilience in the face of its harsh environment. Yet, despite its intimidating nature, this rugged valley has been home to human populations for as long as 9,000 years. The harshness of The Hidden City of Death Valley has never stopped people from making a home in it.

Trace of Giants Found in Desert:

The genesis of the 1947 media frenzy can be traced back to a presentation given by Howard E. Hill of Los Angeles, California, before the city’s Transportation Club in early August. Hill recounted a remarkable story involving Dr. F. Bruce Russell, who claimed to have discovered a network of intricate tunnels nestled deep beneath Death Valley in 1931. Dr. Russell, a retired physician from Cincinnati, Ohio, and his colleague, Dr. Daniel S. Bovee, a fellow archaeologist with whom he had collaborated on excavations in Mexico, reportedly stumbled upon these caves quite by chance.

Russell, seeking a change of scenery and improved health, had ventured west to explore mining opportunities. As the story goes, while sinking a shaft for a mining claim, the ground beneath him gave way, and he plunged into a cave, revealing a catacomb of tunnels branching out in multiple directions.

As Russell and Bovee began their exploration of the caverns, they followed one particular tunnel that led them to an astounding discovery: the mummified remains of three gigantic men, each standing between eight and nine feet tall. These colossal figures were dressed in garments consisting of medium-length jackets and trousers that extended slightly below the knees. The material of their clothing resembled gray-dyed sheepskin, but the explorers suspected it was derived from an animal unknown in modern times.

The chamber also contained a collection of artifacts displaying a fusion of Egyptian and American Indian designs, and hieroglyphics were meticulously carved into polished granite surfaces. Russell and Bovee surmised that they had unearthed the burial site of the tribe’s elite.

Venturing further into another tunnel, they encountered what they described as a "ritual hall" of these ancient people. This hall was adorned with more artifacts and markings, and contained the remarkably preserved remains of various animals, including what appeared to be dinosaurs, elephants, and tigers. Later speculation suggested that these bones might have belonged to ancient saber-tooth tigers and mammoths.

Russell shared with Hill that he and Bovee had only scratched the surface of their discovery, estimating that there were at least 32 tunnels spanning an area of 180 square miles across Death Valley and into parts of southern Nevada.

The tale, as expected, met with skepticism from professional archaeologists. Scientists at the Los Angeles County Museum pointed out the chronological impossibility of finding dinosaur and saber-tooth tiger remains in the same location, given their separation by millions of years in the fossil record. Despite the extraordinary claims, no one in the professional archaeological community showed sufficient interest to investigate the site personally.

Undeterred by the lack of scientific validation, Dr. Russell and a group of investors formed a corporation called "Amazing Explorations, Inc." with the intention of publicizing and, hopefully, profiting from their remarkable find. However, in a cruel twist of fate, Russell was unable to relocate the site on subsequent attempts to show it to his friends. Subsequently, Russell vanished. Months later, his car was found abandoned in a remote area of Death Valley, its radiator burst, and his suitcase still inside. Dr. Bovee, too, seemed to disappear into the shadows, leaving the mystery unresolved. The Hidden City of Death Valley remained hidden.

Was the whole affair merely a hoax?

Perhaps. But the story doesn’t end there – nor does it begin there.

The Kingdom of Shin-au-av:

For centuries, long before Russell’s alleged discovery, legends of an underground city and an ancient race in Death Valley have been woven into the fabric of Paiute folklore. This is the Legend of the Kingdom of Shin-au-av. Shin-au-av, meaning "God’s Land" or "Ghost Land," is a place of profound sacredness to the Paiute people.

According to the legend, in times long past, a respected Paiute chief suffered the devastating loss of his wife. Overwhelmed by grief and sorrow, he came to believe that life without her was no longer worth living. He resolved to take his earthly body into the land of the dead.

Following the trail of brave Indian spirits through seemingly endless underground passages, the chief embarked on a long and arduous journey. Along the way, he was confronted by malevolent spirits, fierce beasts, and supernatural demons. Eventually, his courageous journey was rewarded with the sight of glorious sunlight at the end of the trail. However, he faced one final challenge: crossing an extremely narrow rock bridge that spanned a bottomless canyon. Despite the peril, he could see the lush green meadows of the Spirit Land on the other side and, with unwavering determination, made his way across safely.

Upon entering the grand kingdom ruled by Shin-au-av, he was greeted by a beautiful maiden, the daughter of Shin-au-av himself. The princess took the chieftain’s hand and led him to a large natural amphitheater. There, the chief beheld thousands of deceased and joyful Paiute people dancing in a vast circle. While he was undoubtedly pleased to see that the dead were happy, he lamented, "I will never find my wife in the crowd." The princess assured him that he would and instructed him to sit at the edge of the circle and watch until his wife passed by. She then left him briefly, returning with food and drink to sustain him. Upon her return, she gave him one final instruction: "When you see your beloved wife, carry her off quickly without either of you making a backward glance. Then travel back the way you came."

The chief agreed and patiently waited to see his wife dance by. After several days, he saw many people he had known in the past, including friends and enemies, but his beloved wife remained elusive. Just as he began to lose hope, he saw her approaching late on the third night. He rushed to her with open arms, embraced her, and together they fled the valley hand in hand, making their way toward the ribbon bridge that crossed the great chasm. But, despite all his bravery and resolve, the chief succumbed to the temptation of a quick glance back at the beautiful valley. In that brief moment, he found himself standing alone.

In the end, he returned to his people, where he spent the rest of his life recounting the wonders and beauty of the Kingdom of Shin-au-av. And so, the legend was born, passed down from one generation to the next. The The Hidden City of Death Valley is a place of the past and of the future.

More Catacomb Tales:

Years later, in the 1920s, a prospector named White claimed to have fallen through the floor of an abandoned mine at Wingate Pass, located in the southwest corner of Death Valley, into an underground tunnel. Venturing deeper into the labyrinth, he came upon a series of rooms where he discovered hundreds of leather-clad human mummies surrounded by gold bars and other treasures. The rooms and a tunnel extending further into the catacombs were illuminated by a pale greenish-yellow light of unknown origin. However, White did not explore the tunnel further into the unknown.

White asserted that he had explored the catacombs on two subsequent occasions after his initial discovery. During his second visit, he was accompanied by his wife, and on the third, by his prospecting partner, Fred Thomason.

Meanwhile, after hearing about White’s find, a Paiute Indian named Tom Wilson, who worked as a trapper and guide, shared a similar story. Wilson claimed that his grandfather had discovered the below-ground caverns of Death Valley many years prior. According to his tale, his grandfather had entered a cave that led to numerous tunnels and large rooms beneath the valley floor. After wandering for miles, his grandfather had stumbled upon an underground city inhabited by fair-skinned people who spoke an unfamiliar language and wore leather-like clothing. He also stated that these people possessed horses, were sustained by foods he had never seen before, and their "city" was illuminated by pale greenish-yellow lights.

The Indian, after being missing for some time, eventually returned home to tell his people of his discovery. Most of them were skeptical of his adventure. However, his grandson, Tom Wilson, firmly believed the tale.

Prospector White agreed to guide Tom Wilson and a group of archaeologists to the underground city entrance, but on this trip, White was unable to locate the cavern. However, they did discover a curious dead-end tunnel carved out of solid rock. Disappointed, Tom Wilson dedicated the rest of his life to searching for the underground city until his death in 1968.

The area around Wingate Pass was eventually incorporated into the China Lake Naval Weapons Center and is now off-limits to the public.

Intriguingly, another remarkably similar tale was recounted by an old prospector named Bourke Lee in his book Death Valley Men, published in 1932. Lee also wrote of an underground city located in the Panamint Mountains of Death Valley. In his story, two men named Jack and Bill were exploring near Wingate Pass when one of them fell through the bottom of an old mine shaft. His partner followed him into what was described as a natural underground cavern. The pair allegedly followed a tunnel some 20 miles northward into the heart of the Panamint Mountains.

The two men eventually reached large ancient underground rooms where they reportedly found several perfectly preserved human mummies adorned with thick armbands and holding gold spears. The cavern rooms were illuminated by a system of lights fueled by subterranean gases, and the rooms were filled with treasure. This time, the report of the riches was more descriptive, with the men claiming to have found large statues of solid gold, stone vaults, drawers filled with gold bars and gemstones, and a beautifully polished round table. The story also mentioned perfectly balanced heavy stone wheelbarrows and massive stone doors, almost perfectly balanced by counterweights.

After making this incredible discovery, the two men took a few artifacts and some of the treasure before continuing their journey through the tunnel, which sloped upwards until it opened about halfway up the eastern slope of the Panamint Mountains. Upon their return, they displayed the treasures they had brought down, hoping to attract archaeologists to the site. But, as with so many tales involving hidden riches, there was a twist. Allegedly, a "friend" absconded with the artifacts, and when the two men tried to lead experts to the mine opening, they could not find it again. Jack and Bill claimed that a recent rainstorm had altered and rearranged the terrain.

Like the previous discoverers, these two were determined to find the cavern entrance and were last seen preparing to climb the east face of the Panamint Mountains, after which they were never heard from again. The The Hidden City of Death Valley has claimed more than one victim.