CHOICE ABOVE ALL OTHER LANDS
Book of Mormon Covenant Lands According to the Best Sources

"Blinded by the gold of the pharaohs and the mighty ruins of Babylon , Book of Mormon students have declared themselves "not interested" in the drab and commonplace remains of our lowly Indians. But in all the Book of Mormon we look in vain for anything that promises majestic ruins." (Hugh Nibley, An Approach to the Book of Mormon (Melchizedek Priesthood manual, 1957), appendix section titled "Looking for the Wrong Things", pp. 440-441) 

The ravages of nature, scavenging and demolition have taken a heavy toll on archaeological sites in western New York . A comment made by Nephi and Isaiah applies:

"...the multitude of their terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away..." (2 Nephi 26:19, Isaiah 29:5)

In the appendix of An Approach to the Book of Mormon (under the section titled "Vanished Worlds"); Professor Hugh Nibley discourses on the loss of monuments of the past and of antiques:

"Northern Germany was rich in megalithic monuments at the beginning of the nineteenth century, but now they have vanished. In every civilized country societies were founded in the nineteenth century to stem the tide of destruction that swept away monuments of the past with the increase of population, the opening of new lands to cultivation by new methods, the ceaseless depredations of treasure and souvenir hunters. But the antiquities went right on disappearing. [Carl Schuchardt, Alteuropa (Berlin: De Grunter, 1935)] "

"The same thing happened in America . We too easily forget what a wealth of imposing ruins of the Heroic type once dotted the eastern part of the country. "Not content with having almost entirely exterminated the natives of this continent," an observer wrote at the beginning of this century, "unsatisfied with the tremendous fact that we have violated covenant engagements and treaty pledges with the Indians a hundred times over, we seem to be intent on erasing the last vestige of aboriginal occupation of our land." [Warren K. Morehead, Fort Ancient (Cincinnati: Clark, 1890), pg. 107] This was written in an appeal to save some of the great mounds of Ohio: "There are a number of structures of earth and stone scattered throughout our state...All such earthworks are, of course, placed on summits of high hills, or on plateaus overlooking river valleys." At fort Miami , "it seems as if blockhouses or bastions of wood had been burned down when once protecting the gateway." [Ibid, pp 102-103]  This is not only an excellent description of Book of Mormon strong places, but it also suits exactly the picture of the standard fortified places of the Old World . Hundreds of such hill forts have been located all over Europe and the British Isles , where they seem to represent the normal life of the people over, long periods of time." (An Approach to the B. of M, pp 438-439)

Professor Hugh Nibley summarizes the archaeological problem:

"...Book of Mormon archaeologists have often been disappointed in the past because they have consistently looked for the wrong things. We should not be surprised at the lack of ruins in America in general. Actually the scarcity of identifiable remains in the Old World is even more impressive. In view of the nature of their civilization one should not be puzzled if the Nephites had left us no ruins at all. People underestimate the capacity of things to disappear, and do not realize that the ancients almost never built of stone. Many a great civilization which has left a notable mark in history and literature has left behind not a single recognizable trace of itself. We must stop looking for the wrong things." (An Approach to the B of M, pg. 431)

Site of an ancient breastwork of timber surveyed by E. G. Squier in Ontario County, New York

"...small forts, or places or resort..." (Alma 48:8)

The Bible lacks archaeological support for many of its claims. This has not prevented bible maps from featuring "the traditional route of the Exodus", or "Mt. Sinai", neither of which are agreed upon by religious or secular authorities. We should recognize that the northern American setting of the Book of Mormon, deserves to be mapped, based chiefly on scripture. LDS scripture and the statements of Joseph Smith, show that at least some lands of the Book of Mormon are in the neighborhood of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes (Cumorah in its land of many waters). The emphasis placed here on LDS scripture and verifiable statements of Joseph Smith should not be taken to mean that archaeological correlations have never been found in the region of the Finger Lakes.

"The museums in New York State are filled with the instruments of warfare that had been fashioned by the red men and so freely used in that historic era. The opinion is expressed in those relic halls that western New York was the site of an ancient battlefield. There is more evidence of a well planned defensive warfare in that locality than there is in any other region on the American continent." (I. H. Smith, History of Duchess County, pg. 13)

Prior to their demolition, the remains of numerous earth and timber fortresses could be found throughout the counties of New York State. Ephraim George Squier, commissioned by the Smithsonian Institution, documented this fact.

In 1848, E. G. Squier devoted eight weeks to searching out these remains. He had no exact means of dating the various earth and timber works which he surveyed. He erroneously proposed that the irregular shape of the earth-works (compared to more geometric earth-works of the Mississippi Valley) suggested that the New York earth-works were of "the period succeeding the commencement of European intercourse." (Aboriginal Monuments of the State of New York, by E.G. Squier, pg. 10)

But upon concluding his report Squier states:

"By whom were the aboriginal monuments of Western New York erected, and to what era may they be ascribed? The consideration of these questions has given rise to a vast amount of speculation... If the results arrived at have been erroneous, unsatisfactory, or extravagant, it may be ascribed to the circumstance that the facts heretofore collected have been too few in number and too poorly authenticated to admit of correct conclusions..."

"In respect to date nothing positive can be affirmed. Many of them [old fortified towns and citadels] are now covered with forests... I have seen trees from one to three feet in diameter standing upon the embankments and in the trenches; which would certainly carry back the date of their construction several hundred years, perhaps beyond the period of the discovery in the fifteenth century..." (A. M. of the S. of N. Y., pp. 81-82)

Certainly some of the fortifications Squier visited were constructed in more recent centuries. Evidently native peoples of New York continued to build earth and timber fortresses long after Book of Mormon times. Their entrenchments, banks of earth and timber palisades are a far better match for the constructions described in the Book of Mormon than any of the stupendous stone buildings found in Central and South America.

Contrasting the works of the mound builders with Mesoamerica stone ruins, Hugh Nibley observes: “A closer approximation to the Book of Mormon picture of Nephite culture is seen in the earth and palisade structures of the Hopewell and Adena culture areas than in the later stately piles of stone in Mesoamerica… Though such piles as the great pyramid-temple of Chichen Itza are surpassed by few buildings in the world in beauty of proportion and grandeur of conception, there is something disturbing about most of these overpowering ruins… The great monuments do not represent what the Nephites stood for; rather they stand for what their descendents, mixed with the blood of their brethren, descended to…” (Hugh Nibley, The Prophetic Book of Mormon, pp. 272-273) The great Chichen Itza temple-pyramid of Kukulcan features in the background of the popular LDS painting "Christ in America". The scene may be interpreted to depict a visit by Quetzalcoatl to the people of the Yucatan in the 11th century AD or later, but a scene from the Book of Mormon, it most certainly is not!

Squier points out that the ancient stockades of Western New York are not unlike structures made by natives of Australia, the British Islands, Mexico, Peru, the Pacific Islands, and the Steppes of Russia. The general nature of such defenses is not unique to any one culture.   

Opposed to the theory that the "Mound-builders" were an advanced race not related to "the Indians", Squier contends that the ancient fortresses of Western New York were constructed entirely by ancestors of indigenous people. The Book of Mormon does not disagree. Squier, however, seems incredulous towards the idea that natives of New York might have some connection to peoples of the Middle East. Squier is willing to concede that some of the earth-works could be very old, as long as no credence is given to the idea of a lost race:

"...if the earth-works of Western New York are of remote ancient date, they were not only secondarily but generally occupied by the Iroquois or neighboring and contemporary nations..." Squier remarks. (A. M. of the S. of N. Y., pg. 82)

According to Squier, nearly all of the earth and timber works served as defenses:

"...Their positions, general close proximity to water, and other circumstances no less conclusive, imply a defensive origin. The unequivocal traces of long occupation found within many of them, would further imply that they were fortified towns and villages, and were permanently occupied. Some of the smaller ones, on the other hand, seem rather designed for temporary protection, - the citadels in which the builders sought safety for their old men, women, and children in case of alarm or attack." (A. M. of the S. of N. Y., pp. 81)

As for the number of ancient works in New York State, Squier informs us that:

"In the short period of eight weeks devoted to the search, I was enabled to ascertain the localities of no less than one hundred ancient works, [including works in Seneca, Wayne, Niagara and Wyoming counties, pg 11] and to visit and make surveys of half that number. From the facts which have fallen under my notice, I feel warranted in estimating the number which originally existed in the State at from two hundred to two hundred and fifty. Probably one half of these have been obliterated by the plough, or so much encroached upon as to be no longer satisfactorily traced." (A. M. of the S. of N. Y., pp. 11-12)

Squier surveyed works which enclosed areas ranging from less than an acre to over twenty acres.  He notes burial pits and mounds containing numerous human skeletons. He mentions artifacts of silver, copper and brass found at various New York sites.

"Probably no county in the State had originally a greater number of aboriginal monuments within its boundaries, than the county of Onondaga", remarks E. G. Squier.  Squier realized that much evidence of New York 's ancient civilization had already vanished. In his own words, Onondaga County had "been so long settled, and so generally brought under cultivation, that nearly all vestiges of its ancient remains have disappeared. The sites of many are, however, still remembered; but even these will soon be forgotten." (A. M. of the S. of N. Y., pg. 27)

Onondaga County refers to the local tribe. The similarity to the name "Onandagus" ("Onendegus", or "Omandagas", variously spelled) revealed by the Prophet Joseph Smith during Zion 's Camp, is noteworthy. The fact that "Onandagus" is never mentioned in the Book of Mormon is certainly not proof that this notable individual was unknown to Book of Mormon peoples. The archangel Raphael is never mentioned in the Bible and yet was as well known to the Jewish people as Gabriel. The striking similarity between the name "Oneida" (county and ancient people of New York) and the Book of Mormon place name "Onidah", is also noteworthy.  (Alma 32:4; 47:5)

Aboriginal Monuments of the State of New York Surveyed by E. G. Squier