How do these descriptions match archaeological discoveries?

Thomas R. Valletta

We are not attempting to identify locations of Book of Mormon lands, but we note that certain fascinating archaeological discoveries made after Joseph Smith’s day seem to parallel Book of Mormon descriptions. For example, in 1970, David L. Webster, who worked at one site in southeastern Mexico, described fortifications dating to about A.D. 250–300 that are similar to those mentioned in Alma 50: “The vertical distance from the top of the embankment to the bottom of the ditch … averaged something over [35 ft.]. … An enemy force caught in the bottom of the ditch would have been at the mercy of the defenders. … The attackers’ approach would have been spotted by watchmen on tall towers, for which there is evidence” (Sorenson, “How Could Joseph Smith Write So Accurately about Ancient American Civilization?” 294–95).

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References