Obsession and Longing - How the Lost City of Z was created to be forever lost

Oct 22, 2026

Claims for the existence of lost cities reflect a problematic form of pseudoarchaeology. If archaeologists reject such cities as nonexistent, they are framed as closed minded; if they search and fail to find them, they are accused of inadequate effort. Once embedded, these legends can shape popular perceptions of the ancient world. The article examines British explorer Percy Fawcett’s claim about a lost city in the Amazon and argues for openly discussing how the legends originated and spread rather than dismissing them.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The City of Z and the problem of engagement

Lost-city legends in Latin America and the blend of truth and fiction

Media influence and the pseudoarchaeology effect

Obsession and Longing: How the Lost City of Z was created to be forever lost Obsesióny anhelo: Cómo la Ciudad Perdida de Z fue creada para ser perdida para siempre David S. Anderson Radford University, [danderson10@radford.edu](danderson10@radford.edu) Abstract: Claims for the existence of lost cities represent a problematic form of pseudoarchaeology. If an archaeologist insists the city does not exist, then they are closed minded. Or instead, if the archaeologist goes looking for a city and fails to find it, they have not looked hard enough. Once such legends exist, they develop a pernicious hold on popular perceptions of the ancient world. This article examines British explorer Percy Fawcett’s claim that a lost city exists in the heart of the Amazon jungle, and argues that the best way to overcome pseudoarchaeological claims for lost cities is not to dismiss them but to openly discuss how the legends originated and developed. Keywords: Pseudoarchaeology, Lost City, Percy Fawcett, Amazon Resumen: Las afirmaciones defendiendo la existencia de ciudades perdidas son una forma problemáticade pseudoarqueología. Si un arqueólogo insiste que la ciudad no existe, es acusado de tener una mentecerrada. Si, en su lugar, el arqueólogo va en busca de la ciudady no logra hallarla, es acusado de no buscar lo suficiente. Una vez dichas leyendas existen, logran arraigarse en las percepciones populares del mundo antiguo. Este artículo examina las afirmaciones del explorador británico Percy Fawcett acercade la existencia de una ciudad perdida en el corazón de la Amazonia. Se defenderá que la mejor formade superar afirmaciones acerca de ciudades perdidas desde la pseudoarqueología es no desecharlas, sino discutir abiertamente cómo dichas leyendas se originaron y desarrollaron. Palabras clave: Pseudoarqueología, Ciudad Perdida, Percy Fawcett, Amazonia 1. Introduction The British explorer Colonel Percy Fawcett was last seen in 1925 heading upriver into the heart of the Amazon basin with his son Jack Fawcett and Raleigh Rimell. The men were on a quest to discover the Lost City of Z, a settlement that Fawcett believed would be found in the heart of the jungle. The precise route of the expedition had been kept secret out of fear that other explorers might beat them to the city; as a result, when the Fawcett party failed to reemerge from the jungle no one could say quite what had happened to them. Was the party dead? Were they being held captive by natives? Or, had they reached their destination? Speculation on the fate of the party continued for decades until even the most ardent supporters had to admit Fawcett must be dead. Even still, the lore of Percy Fawcett did not disappear as occasional expeditions continued to search for any trace of his remains or his fabled city. Interest in Fawcett and the City of Z has recently resurged due to the publication of David Grann’s book The Lost City of Z (2005), the release of James Gray’s (2016) film by the same name, and with an expedition and documentary film planned by James Lynch in search of Fawcett’s final resting place1 . With this renewed attention comes the question, how should archaeologists engage with the City of Z? Tales of lost cities in Latin America have been told since the earliest days of the European conquest. The most famous of these stories is that of the lost city of El Dorado, a legendary place bursting with gold that has drawn many explorers into the most remote corners ofthe New World (Bray, 1979) . El Dorado, however, does not stand alone. Stories of Ciudad Blanca in Honduras also date back to the 16th century (Begley 2016), and ever 1 The author was interviewed by the television production company preparing to film this expedition. since Francisco Vásquez de Coronado went looking for the seven golden cities of Cibola in 1541, people have continually speculated about possible lost cities throughout the Americas (Koch 2009) . Lost city legends hold a specia

FAQs

What does the article say about pseudoarchaeological claims for lost cities?

It argues that these claims represent pseudoarchaeology, where archaeologists are pressured by competing accusations depending on whether they reject the city or fail to find it. The article highlights how such legends take hold in popular perceptions of the ancient world.

Who is Percy Fawcett, and what is his claim discussed in the paper?

The paper focuses on British explorer Percy Fawcett’s belief that a lost city exists in the heart of the Amazon jungle. It frames his expedition and the enduring persistence of the City of Z lore.

How does the article propose archaeologists should respond to the City of Z?

It argues the best approach is not to dismiss lost-city claims outright but to openly discuss how the legends originated and developed. This engagement aims to address the appeal and persistence that drive pseudoarchaeological narratives.

Oct 22, 2026

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