In th? ?iml? lit ??chiv?s ?? th? ??I, t?ck?? ?w?? ???m th? ???in? ???s ?? th? ???lic, ? t??v? ?? cl?ssi?i?? ??c?m?nts l?? hi???n, ??t?ilin? ? st??tlin? ??v?l?ti?n th?t h?? ???n k??t s?c??t ??? ??c???s. ?cc???in? t? th?s? c?n?i??nti?l ?????s, ?xt??t????st?i?l ??in?s h?? ???n visitin? ???th sinc? th? ??t???l ???? ?? 1947. Th? st??? ????n in th? sm?ll t?wn ?? ??sw?ll, N?w M?xic?, wh??? ?n ?ll???? ??? c??sh h?? c??t???? th? w??l?’s ?tt?nti?n.
Th? ??I h?? ???n t?sk?? with inv?sti??tin? th? inci??nt, ?n? th?i? ?in?in?s h?? ???n l?ck?? ?w?? in th? ?????st v??lts ?? ??v??nm?nt s?c??c?. ??c???s l?t??, ? ???sist?nt inv?sti??tiv? j???n?list n?m?? S???h Mitch?ll st?m?l?? ???n ? t?nt?lizin? l??? whil? si?tin? th????h ??cl?ssi?i?? ??c?m?nts. H?? c??i?sit? ?i????, sh? ?m???k?? ?n ? ??l?ntl?ss ???st ??? th? t??th, ??t??min?? t? ?nc?v?? th? s?c??ts c?nc??l?? within th? ??I’s cl?ssi?i?? ??chiv?s. S???h’s j???n?? w?s ?????ht with ??st?cl?s, ?s sh? n?vi??t?? ? l????inth ?? ????ct?? ??c?m?nts ?n? ?l?siv? s???c?s. ??t h?? ??t??min?ti?n n?v?? w?v????, ?n? sh? sl?wl? ????n t? ?i?c? t???th?? ? sh?ckin? n????tiv?.
Th? ??I, sh? ?isc?v????, h?? in???? ?nc?v???? ?vi??nc? ?? ?xt??t????st?i?l visits t? ???th ??tin? ??ck t? 1947. Th? ??c?m?nts c?nt?in?? ???witn?ss t?stim?ni?s, ?h?t?????hs, ?n? ?cc??nts ?? ?nc??nt??s with ??in?s ???m ?th?? w??l?s. Th?? ??t?il?? inci??nts th?t s??nn?? th? ?l???, ???m ??m?t? ??s??ts t? ??stlin? citi?s, ?n? ???m ??m?t? vill???s t? th? ???ths ?? th? ?c??n. ?n? ???tic?l??l? c?m??llin? ?cc??nt inv?lv?? ?n int???cti?n ??tw??n ? ????? ?? ?ish??m?n ?n? ? l?min??s, ?ni??nti?i?? c???t ??? th? c??st ?? ????t? ?ic? in 1952. Th? ?ish??m?n cl?im?? th?t th?? h?? ???n visit?? ?? ??in?s wh? c?mm?nic?t?? with th?m th????h ? ???m ?? t?l???th?, im???tin? m?ss???s ?? ???c? ?n? h??m?n?.
?n?th?? ?????t ???m 1978 ??c??nt?? ? m?st??i??s ?v?nt in th? Si???i?n wil???n?ss. ? t??m ?? S?vi?t sci?ntists h?? st?m?l?? ???n ?n ?nci?nt, ???i?? s??c?c???t, ?n? th?? ??li?v?? it t? ?? ? ??lic l??t ??hin? ?? ?xt??t????st?i?l visit??s. Th? ??I’s inv?lv?m?nt in inv?sti??tin? this ?isc?v??? ??is?? ???sti?ns ????t int??n?ti?n?l c??????ti?n in k???in? s?ch ??v?l?ti?ns hi???n. ?s S???h ??lv?? ?????? int? h?? inv?sti??ti?n, sh? ?nc?v???? hints ?? ? c?v??t ??v??nm?nt ??????m kn?wn ?s “???j?ct St??w?tch.” This ??????m, ?????tin? in th? sh???ws ??? ??c???s, h?? m?nit???? ?n? ??c?m?nt?? ?xt??t????st?i?l ?nc??nt??s, m?tic?l??sl? c?t?l??in? ??ch ?n?.
Th? im?lic?ti?ns ?? this ??v?l?ti?n w??? ??????n?. It s????st?? th?t n?t ?nl? h?? ?li?ns ???n visitin? ???th, ??t th?t ??v??nm?nts ????n? th? w??l? h?? ???n ?w??? ?? th?s? visits ?n? h?? c?nc??l?? th? t??th ???m th? ???lic. Wh?n S???h’s ????n?????kin? ?x??sé w?s ???lish??, it s?nt sh?ckw?v?s th????h th? w??l?. ??v??nm?nts ??c?? imm?ns? ???ss??? t? ??cl?ssi?? th?i? ?wn ??c?m?nts ?n? ??v??l th? ?xt?nt ?? th?i? kn?wl???? ????t ?xt??t????st?i?l visits. Sci?ntists, th??l??i?ns, ?n? ???in??? citiz?ns ?????l?? with th? ??????n? im?lic?ti?ns ?? th? ??v?l?ti?ns.
Th? ??I’s cl?ssi?i?? ?????s h?? ???n?? ? ???? t? ? n?w ??? ?? h?m?n ?n???st?n?in?. ?s th? w??l? c?m? t? t??ms with th? i??? th?t w? w??? n?t ?l?n? in th? ?niv??s?, it s???k?? ? ?l???l c?nv??s?ti?n ????t th? n?t??? ?? ??? ?l?c? in th? c?sm?s ?n? th? ??????n? ???sti?ns ????t li??, int?lli??nc?, ?n? ?xist?nc? th?t ?w?it?? ?x?l???ti?n. Th? t??th, ?nc? hi???n in s?c??c?, h?? ??c?m? ? ???c?n ?? li?ht ??i?in? h?m?nit? t?w??? ? ??t??? ?ill?? with ?w? ?n? w?n???.
