Where The Maya Come From

[Nofear]

Science (the magazine) has a new article out about Mayan origins stemming from some new archealogical findings. Basically the hypothesis is that there was a very rapid societal transition because of cultural mixing. Too bad the proposed dates are a few hundred years too early for Book of Mormon interpretations.

io9 blog summary of article

[BCSpace]

Too bad the proposed dates are a few hundred years too early for Book of Mormon interpretations.

I don't see it as much of a problem. When I think of a Mesomerican LGT, I don't see Lehi and his family (or Mulek) comming to an empty land, but rather, they may have been absorbed into and had a great influence on the highest levels of existing society. Perhaps their technical ability, their writing and language, their religion, etc. were deemed superior and they were welcomed as such and made leaders. And if the Mayans were multicultural as implied by the article, then they would have been absorbed into a sub-culture and not have necessarily greatly influenced all of Mayan-dom but they may certainly have leavened it somewhat.

[EllenMaksoud]

Science (the magazine) has a new article out about Mayan origins stemming from some new archealogical findings. Basically the hypothesis is that there was a very rapid societal transition because of cultural mixing. Too bad the proposed dates are a few hundred years too early for Book of Mormon interpretations.

io9 blog summary of article

It is embarassing to so blatantly display my ignorance, so no laughing ! I had thought that the human genome studies revealed that many of the South American people were from Polyanesia, and that the bulk of the North American indigenous tribes had come accross the land bridge between Siberia and modern day Alaska. I had also read that Phonecian Sailors had often visited the West, the Atlantic being no real barrier to them in their sleek, fast ships. In recent years, I wonder why Columbus chose to sail to the Americas in what amounted to barges that were capable of only 2-3 knots. History is written by the winners.

[Nofear]

I don't see it as much of a problem. When I think of a Mesomerican LGT, I don't see Lehi and his family (or Mulek) comming to an empty land, but rather, they may have been absorbed into and had a great influence on the highest levels of existing society. Perhaps their technical ability, their writing and language, their religion, etc. were deemed superior and they were welcomed as such and made leaders. And if the Mayans were multicultural as implied by the article, then they would have been absorbed into a sub-culture and not have necessarily greatly influenced all of Mayan-dom but they may certainly have leavened it somewhat.

That was kind of the point. The native population experienced a transformative change in short order from some co-mingling with an external culture -- so much so that before this the natives probably shouldn't be described as "Mayan". Were the timing appropriate many of we LDS would like to attribute that to Lehi's influx. Doesn't appear to be that way though.

[ERayR]

Science (the magazine) has a new article out about Mayan origins stemming from some new archealogical findings. Basically the hypothesis is that there was a very rapid societal transition because of cultural mixing. Too bad the proposed dates are a few hundred years too early for Book of Mormon interpretations.

io9 blog summary of article

I wouldn't be too worried about dating. Dates have a way of being adjusted as more is learned.

[Nofear]

I wouldn't be too worried about dating. Dates have a way of being adjusted as more is learned.

Thanks for the advice. The lack of (an unecesarry) confluence between proposed Book of Mormon dates and speculated impact on local Mesoamerican inhabitants with the dates surrounding a newer and not-yet-time-tested archealogical hypothesis was seriously challenging my testimony. It's all better now.