The Gilded Man (El Dorado) and other pictures of the Spanish occupancy of America

"The Gilded Man (El Dorado) and Other Pictures of the Spanish Occupancy of America" by A. F. Bandelier is a historical account written in the late 19th century. This work explores the Spanish exploration and colonization of the Americas, particularly focusing on the mythical El Dorado legend and the quest for wealth that characterized these expeditions. The narrative delves into the richly detailed and often harrowing history of the encounters between Spanish adventurers and Indigenous tribes, highlighting the consequences of the greed that drove these early conquests." "The opening of this work introduces the context of Spanish exploration in the Americas, emphasizing the historical neglect of the Spanish presence in the Southwest compared to the Atlantic seaboard. It discusses how the pursuit of gold led Spaniards into both remarkable adventures and devastating consequences for Indigenous populations. The text sets the stage with references to the tales of El Dorado, manly exploits, and the darker moral implications of these conquests, establishing a foundation for the detailed exploration of significant expeditions and encounters that follow." (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Adolph Francis Alphonse Bandelier was a Swiss and American archaeologist who particularly explored the indigenous cultures of the American Southwest, Mexico, and South America. He immigrated to the United States with his family as a youth and made his life there, abandoning the family business to study in the new fields of archeology and ethnology.