"The Smithsonian were unable to explain adequately why all
the mountain peaks in that area of the Grand Canyon had
(sic) Egyptian names claiming it was because the early
Smithsonian surveyors liked Egypt and as I have mentioned
the area is now out of bounds and they (The Smithsonian)
conveniently forgot to address my question regarding
caves in the area and the fact that these caves were part
of the out of bounds."

These names were not created by "early Smithsonian surveyors."
The tradition of naming geographical features in the Grand Canyon
was started by Capt. Clarence Edward Dutton. He worked with
John Wesley Powell and Grove Karl Gilbert on the Powell
Survey and expositions by the fledgling U.S. Geological
Survey. Capt. Dutton was a very literate person with profound
interest and knowledge of geology and fascinated by Asian
cultures. Although a part-time geologist, he made important
contributions to volcanic geology, seismology, geology of the
western US, and physical geology.

As part of the Powell Survey and later expeditions by the U.S.
Geological Survey, Capt. Dutton spent three field seasons in
1878–1880 conducting a geological reconnaissance of the
Grand Canyon region for the federal government. The
"Egyptian names" that are discussed were first published in
Dutton (1882a, 1882b).

In Dutton (1882a:169), a person can find him admiring
the symmetry of the "pagoda" of what it calls "Shiva's
Temple." In addition, Dutton (1882a:169) writes
metaphorically of the "facades to the temple," "ground
plan of the walls," and "architectural details are always
striking, and by their profusion and richness suggest an
Oriental character" in respect to his "Hindoo Amphitheater."
Also, Dutton (1882a:143) notes a butte with a "surprising
resemblance to an Oriental pagoda." Later, Dutton
(1882a:177) notes that this butte is “...so admirably
designed and so exquisitely decorated that the sight of
it must call forth an expression of wonder and delight
from the most apathetic beholder. [. . .] We named it
Vishnu's Temple" (Millin 2013).

These reports were published 27 years before the 19o9
newspaper article mentioning Kincaid. It is quite
impossible for anything found by Kincaid in a cave to
have influenced Dutton's choice of names. I suspect,
but cannot demonstrate, that Dutton's names could
have inspired the newspaper article.

It is clear from Dutton (1882a) that the "Egyptian
names" are Capt. Dutton's creations and based upon his
metaphorical comparison of these natural landforms
with manmade temples, amphitheater, and other
artificial structures. He was followed by other geologists
and cartographers, who named additional landforms
following the same theme.

For more about Capt. Dutton, go see:

Orme, A. R. (2007a) Clarence Edward Dutton
(1841–1912): Soldier, polymath, and aesthete. In P. N.
Wyse Jackson, ed., Four Centuries of Geological
Travel. London, UK: Geological Society, Special
Publications, 287, 271–286.

Out of Bounds Areas

The "out of bounds" areas are the decision of the
National Park Service, not the Smithsonian Institution.
As any other National Park, they are restricted because
it is either dangerous for your untrained people to
wander about in or it contains cultural, biologic,
or other resources that can be either damaged of
looted by letting unsupervised people free to wander
around. For example, caves are typically off limits
because they are important habitat for bats and
other small mammals. The closure of caves prevents
humans from either disturbing, damaging, and
even destroying this specific habitat. Currently,
cave closures are also needed to limit the spread
of White-Nose Syndrome that is killing bats.

Bats - Grand Canyon
[www.nps.gov]

Some caves are closed are to protect the vertebrate
fossils found in them from either looters, vandals, or
careless visitors. Rampart cave was open until careless
visitors set fire to a layer of Pleistocene dung in it. It was
then closed.

The Grand Canyon’s Caves Are Full of Sloth Dung
and Mummified Bats, Atlas Obscura, March 9, 2021
[www.atlasobscura.com]

There is nothing sinister about the closures of areas
and caves. The National Park Service is just doing what
it needs to do to protect the safety of tourists and
conserve and protect the natural landscape and biota
within National Parks as they are mandated to do.

References cited

Dutton, C. E. 1882a. The Tertiary History of the Grand
Canon District. US Geological Survey, Monograph 2.
Government Printing Office, Washington

Dutton, C. E. 1882b. Report of Capt. C.E. Dutton,
Washington, October 3, 1881. In: Powell, J. W.
(ed.) Second Annual Report of the United States Geological
Survey, 1880–81. Government Printing Office,
Washington.

McMillin, L.H., 2013. Words, Times, and Worlds:
Nine Days in the Grand Canyon. Interdisciplinary
Studies in Literature and Environment, 20(4), pp.885-896.

Yours,

Paul H.

"The past is never dead. It's not even past."
William Faulkner, Act 1, Scene III, Requiem for a Nun (1951)



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/18/2023 10:47PM by Paul H..