According to John Sorenson, just northwest of the valley of Guatemala lies a prominent but gently sloping hill elevated a few hundred yards above the pass adjacent to it. This elevation sits in such a position that anyone coming from the northwest would immediately seek it out in order to overlook the entire valley. On the top of that hill are the remains of an archaeological site, including a pyramid structure, named Alux by archaeologist Edwin Shook, who first reported it. No study of the ruin has been made, so a date for its construction cannot be given, but if it is like many other sites in the area it will prove to have been used over a long time, probably beginning in the Late Pre-Classic period, which is when king Noah "caused a great tower to be built on the hill north of the land Shilom" (Mosiah 11:13). The construction found by Shook is in the proper spot to have been that very tower (see Mosiah 7:5, 16). [John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, F.A.R.M.S., p. 167]
Mosiah 11:13 A great tower ([Illustration]): This unique tower was part of the palace at Palenque, Mexico. Archaeologists and astronomers believe it was constructed so Mayan royalty could observe the sunlight falling into the Temple of Inscriptions at winter solstice. [Scot and Maurine Proctor, Light from the Dust, p. 180]
Geographical [Theory Map]: Mosiah 11:3--16:15 Noah Builds Two Towers to Overlook Shemlon (Year 442-451)
“The Hill North of Shilom”
King Noah "caused a great tower to be built on the hill north of the land of Shilom" (Mosiah 11:13). He apparently built the tower on this hill in order to counter the advantage the Lamanites previously sought when they "came upon the north of the land of Shilom" (Mosiah 10:7-8). This hill was not just a hill but was designated as the hill north of Shilom. Mormon makes a subtle editing note that this hill had been "a place of resort" for the people of Mosiah1 when they fled to the land of Zarahemla (Mosiah 11:13). It is interesting that although the flight of Mosiah and his people from the land of Nephi is documented on the small plates (see Omni 1:12), there is no mention of any "hill" or any "place of resort." This information would have been gleaned by Mormon from the large plates.
If the people of Noah (or Zeniff) considered this hill north of Shilom a strategic location (or "resort"), were they verifying the same geographical, cultural, and military situation that had existed with the Nephites under Mosiah1? In other words, did Nephi and thus the people of Mosiah1 originally populate only this area of land before? And did they have the same relationship with "the people who were now called Lamanites" (2 Nephi 5:14) or what we might otherwise term the native population? And did the Nephite people from the time of Nephi to Mosiah1 defend themselves against that native population in the same strategic manner as the people of Zeniff? Whatever the case, a strategic geographical setting for the city of Lehi-Nephi, if not also for the original city of Nephi, seems to be implied. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]