(Supposed)
Book of Mormon Anachronisms
(c) Copyright Michael R. Ash 1996. All rights reserved
Among one critic’s list of Book of Mormon anachronisms are “many highways... [and] cement” (Key, 2). Pre-Columbian highways, however, have been discovered in Central and South America. One such roadway runs over 3000 miles through mountains, along the edges of cliffs, and over water falls. In many places rock had to be cut away for the construction of these roadways. “It has been estimated,” notes Dr. Cheesman, “that there were 9,500 miles of road in the ancient South American system. Causeways were built in marshy places and over streams, and bridges and even tunnels have been found” (Cheesman 1984, 167). Studies indicate that “road building has a long history and occurred from one end of Mesoamerica to the other” (Sorenson 1984b, 18). Hunter and Ferguson, examining the Mayan abilities in road building, quote Gann:
Roman roads, proverbial for their permanence have disappeared, and can be traced today only with difficulty, or not at all. Our modern roads will, if left to the forces of nature, have completely disappeared without a trace in 500 years, but this great Maya road has withstood the passage of centuries, in a country of heavy rainfall and luxuriant vegetation, and with the exception of its cement facing, is almost the same now as it was the day when the last Maya trod its smooth level surface. (Hunter & Ferguson, 261-2.)
Cement facing? Is it true that cement was used on many of these roads? “Research literature,” reveals Cheesman, “continually refers to the use of cement as a means of obtaining a smooth surface on ancient American highways” (Cheesman 1984, 169). Not only was cement used to surface highways, but it was also used in the construction of buildings and as a covering for houses and pyramids (ibid., 167). In fact, cement was used in the temple complex at Teotihuacan, north of present-day Mexico City. Wells and Welch note that according to David S. Hyman, cement floor slabs at this temple are “‘remarkably high in structural quality.‘ Although exposed to the elements for nearly two thousand years, they still ‘exceed many present-day building code requirements.’” (Wells & Welch, 212.)
Michael R. Ash
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