FINDING LOST CIVILIZATIONS This

diately found ancient pottery fragments lying on recentlyupturned soil. I then saw a small path and followed it forabout a kilometer. During my walk I observed that the hotspring was located in a fertile valley that was being activelyfarmed. While walking on this path I was surprised to findan ancient tomb marker laying flat on the ground. Farmerscultivating their land had long since cleared most ofthese tomb markers and their significance had been lost totime. I recalled having once spoken to a ninety-five year oldfarmer from Alta Vista who told me that his property oncecontained many tomb markers and ancient statues, but thatthey had been cleared away to make room for his crops. Heexplained that in the early 1900’s life was hard and that abountiful harvest was needed to sustain life. He said that notmuch had changed for him since those early days and thathis crops were his life.When I returned to the hot spring Paula met some ofher friends and we shared a meal with them. Before herfriends left they invited us to a deer roast, which was beingheld the following day at their home in Las Varas.67