This volume examines the pivotal role of Spanish explorers and mapmakers in shaping European understanding of the New World through their 'entradas' into the Greater Southwest. The book, edited by Dennis Reinhartz and Gerald D. Saxon, features contributions from five scholars who analyze the expeditions of Panfilo de Narvaez, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, Fray Marcos de Niza, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, Hernando de Soto, and Luis de Moscoso. It investigates the connections between the explorers' experiences, their interactions with indigenous populations, and how these encounters were translated into the printed maps of the era. These maps, incorporating indigenous knowledge, significantly influenced European perceptions and reshaped their worldview.

This collection of symposium papers, edited by Dennis Reinhartz and Gerald D. Saxon, brings together scholarly perspectives on the historical and cartographical significance of Spanish exploration in the Greater Southwest. The contributors delve into the complex interplay between exploration, indigenous knowledge, and the creation of maps that influenced European understanding of the Americas. The volume highlights how these early cartographic efforts served as crucial conduits for information, reshaping perceptions of the newly discovered lands. The scholarly focus suggests a text aimed at academics and serious students of history, geography, and cartography.