In Tony Hillerman’s novel, Chester Reynolds has a doctorate in anthropology; his primary academic field is archaeology. As a specialist in ancient Native American culture, he is dedicated to promoting the importance of Folsom, a culture that he believes originated much earlier than other scholars have yet determined and then maintained a continuous presence in the US Southwest.
Unfortunately, he is so obsessed with proving this idea that he completely loses his perspective. Reynolds will stop at nothing to gain recognition for his expertise in this area. Among his transgressions are placing artifacts obtained elsewhere in the sites that his people are digging—a practice called “seeding”—so that the archaeologists who find them will believe his theory. Even worse, he kills people who stand in his way.
