Located just east of Phoenix, Arizona, USA, is a rugged mountainous area and a place where people sometimes come, but never return. It is a place of mystery and legends and is called Superstition Mountain.
Treasure hunts are often thrilling and contain many dangers. Many people had to die for incomprehensible reasons, but that did not stop others from searching for the treasure. This series will follow the bravest people to explore the world’s largest and most mysterious treasures.
Me Tin Mountain is a rugged mountain terrain with many peaks, cliffs, and valleys, some of which have yet to be discovered. Many people call this a mountain range, but it is actually just a mountain. It is not the highest peak in the area, but is known to be the most dangerous. Many historical documents say that this place has a gold mine with reserves larger than any gold mine ever discovered.
Metin Mountain area, Arizona (Photo: Reddit)
This mountain, also known as the “Lost Dutchman Mine”, is the dream of many people looking for luck, but is also the grave of many unlucky people.
The Apache Indian tribe was probably the first to know about the mountain, followed by Spanish colonists, the first of whom was Francisco Vasquez de Coronado.
Coronado arrived here in 1540 in search of the legendary “Seven Golden Cities of Cibola.” When he arrived in the area, local Indians told him that the mountain had a lot of gold, but refused to help the Spanish explore. They are too afraid of the “Thunder God” because they believe that the “Thunder God” will kill anyone who dares to set foot in his sacred land.
When the Spaniards tried to explore the mountain themselves, they discovered that members of their party mysteriously disappeared. It is said that if a person leaves the group just a few meters, they will never appear again. The bodies of these people were found with their heads cut off and all their internal organs removed. The lucky ones returned so scared they never dared to go to the mountain again. That explains why this mountain is called Superstition Mountain.
The first person to discover gold at Superstition Mountain was Don Miguel Penalta, a Mexican. He discovered a large vein of gold here in 1845 while searching for the treasure Coronado had heard about. Penalta returned to Mexico to find more men and gold mining equipment. Soon, he transported millions of pesos of pure gold back to the country.
Museum of the Apache tribe at the foot of Mount Metin (Photo: Getty Images)
The Apache Indians began to resent the Spanish presence on the mountain, so in 1848 they gathered a large force to drive Peralta’s men from the area. Knowing the news, Peralta quickly retreated, but before that he erased all the signs leading to the mine to wait for an opportunity to return to dig for gold again. However, they never got that chance.
Early the next morning, before they could leave, Penalta’s force of about 100-400 people was suddenly attacked by the army of the Apache tribe and completely destroyed. The luggage mules ran in panic in all directions, dropping scattered gold everywhere. Years later, prospectors and soldiers discovered the carcasses of pack donkeys and leather sacks still filled with raw gold.
This area later known as the “Golden Fields” became a destination for outlaws and those who wanted to make a quick fortune by searching for scattered gold. The last case of a Peralta mule being found was in 1914.
