Archaeological Perspective for the Book of Mormon ~ The Lamanite Lands

A careful reading of these chapters in Alma indicate two very distinct geographical areas.  The Lamanites who were converted to the gospel by the Sons of Mosiah were from the highlands of what is now Guatemala.  Those who were not converted and who remained hostile to both the Nephites and the converted Lamanites came from the foothills areas sloping down toward the Pacific Ocean.  Some of the converted Lamanite sites identified by archeological Book of Mormon scholars include: the City of Nephi at Kaminaljuyu; Midian at Antigua and the Sacatepéquez area; and Lemuel and Shimnilom in the Valley of Pinual near Canchon.



Ruins at Kaminaljuyu, Guatemala

Ruins in the Valley of Pinula, Guatemala


Areas for the more hostile Lamanites have been identified in the foothills areas of the "land round about" Amulon, and Helam.  Ruins in this area that date to the appropriate time include Monte Alba and El Baul.



Ruins at Monte Alba, Guatamala

El Baul, Guatemala
The "Sacred" Jaguar

Interestingly enough, there are distinct cultural differences between the peoples of the two areas.  Archaeologically speaking, this is not surprising.  The converted Lamanites in the highlands opened relationships with the Nephites in Zarahemla (Santa Rosa, MX) and began to integrate some of the cultural and economic traditions of the Nephites as well as the religious conversion.  This was seen as a threat to the non-converted Lamanites in the foothills.  These Lamanites were ruled by apostate Nephites such as the descendants of Amulon, one of the priests of King Noah.  These apostate Nephites and intermarried with the Lamanites and had adopted their violent ways and the false traditions passed down since the days of Laman and Lemuel.  They also had their own anti-Nephite and anti-God philosophies which they had integrated into the Lamanite culture.

Speaking of the converted Nephite areas, Sorensen says: this whole set of converted lands forms a "symbiotic region' - an ecologically connected territory whose economy naturally tended to be integrated.  That may help explain why the Lamanites throughout this section came to act as a unit under the converted Lamanite king at Lehi-Nephi, the prime city. (p.226)

This integrated economy with its ties to Zarahemla was a potent threat to the unconverted Lamanites.  They resisted any missionary efforts and eventually turned militarily on their ethnic brethren, the converted Lamanites.

Text copyright December 2013, Gebara Education

Research information from An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon by John L. Sorensen, pp.221 through 227

 

Pictures:

Map from www.cityleases.com

Kaminaljuyu from www.es.touristlink.com

Valley of Pinula from www.tripadvisor.ca

Monte Alba from www.images.yahoo.com

El Baul from www.photoimagenes.org