▁de ▁I bar ra , ▁several ▁settlement s ▁were ▁founded ▁in ▁the ▁territory ▁and ▁further ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Z ac ate cas , ▁when ▁silver ▁depos its ▁were ▁discovered . ▁I bar ra ▁named ▁the ▁new ▁area ▁Nueva ▁V iz c aya ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁his ▁native ▁land ▁B isc ay ▁( one ▁of ▁the ▁Bas que ▁historical ▁territ ories ). ▁Nueva ▁V iz c aya ▁included ▁the ▁current ▁states ▁of ▁Ch ih u ah ua ▁and ▁Dur ango , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁certain ▁areas ▁of ▁eastern ▁Son ora ▁and ▁S inal oa ▁and ▁sout heast ▁of ▁Co ahu ila . ▁The ▁region ▁fell ▁under ▁the ▁legal ▁juris diction ▁of ▁the ▁“ Ro yal ▁Gu adal aj ara ▁Aud iencia ”. ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁scientific ▁news ▁on ▁this ▁site ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁by ▁American ▁anth rop ologist ▁Ald en ▁Mason ; ▁four ▁years ▁later ▁Charles ▁K elle y , ▁with ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁students ▁from ▁University ▁of ▁Chicago , ▁started ▁initial ▁research ▁work , ▁from ▁which ▁he ▁removed ▁multiple ▁arch ae ological ▁pieces ▁and ▁prepared ▁three ▁ess ays . ▁ ▁The ▁final ▁disposition ▁of ▁arch ae ological ▁material ▁is ▁unknown ; ▁however ▁these ▁were ▁used ▁by ▁K elle y ▁to ▁establish ▁occupation ▁periods ▁and ▁site ▁character ization . ▁A ▁proposed ▁occupation ▁between ▁ 8 0 0 ▁and ▁ 1 4 5 0 ▁CE , ▁was ▁established , ▁and ▁its ▁possible ▁affili ation ▁with ▁the ▁Chal chi h uit es ▁culture , ▁Gu ad iana ▁branch .