METALS |
Ongoing research demonstrates not only that metallurgy was known in early America (see Metullargy [forthcoming]), but that iron (and iron-working-- not necessarily iron smelting [iron metullary]) was known as well. Dr. Sorenson notes that a “pottery vessel dating to about A.D. 300, and apparently used for smelting, contained a ‘metallic-looking’ mass. Analyzed chemically, it proved to contain copper and iron. Linne’, the same Swedish archaeologist who made that find, accepted a piece of iron found in a tomb at Mitla, Oaxaca, as probably refined.” (Sorenson, 1985, 284-5.) Although Book of Mormon critic, Deanne G. Matheny questions whether recently discovered New World iron relates to Book of Mormon iron, she acknowledges that the Olmecs of central America (which correspond to logical Jaredite times/places) knew of and used “iron” as evidence by iron mirrors. (Matheny, 289.) Evidence suggests that much of the Book of Mormon’s use of metals was for ornamentation (see Sorenson, 1994, 327-8.)
More recently, Dr. William Hamblin in a message posted to SAMU-L (an LDS discussion list server) concerning a lecture given in September of 1996 by Dr. Anne Cyphers, Olmec specialist, Ph.D. National U. Of Mexico, with 25 years archaeological experience and principle excavator at San Lorenzo (smack in logical Jaredite lands) for past seven years. Excavations list several tons of iron. (Hamblin, 1996a.) Hamblin, in a discussion with John Clark (of BYU archaeolgoy dept.) asserts that “a total of 10 tons of iron has been found at San Lorenzo, in several massive hordes, the largest of which was 4 tons. Before the discovery of these hordes only a few pieces of iron were known. They were discovered by using metal detectors.” (Hamblin, 1996b.) Olmecs mining iron sounds remakably like the Jaredites: “and they did dig it out of the earth; wherefore they did cast up mighty heaps of earth to get ... iron.” (Ether 10:23.) Michael R. Ash