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Mayan Information Irretrievably Destroyed

Research by Kerry A. Shirts

I quote Dennis Tedlock "Popol Vuh", wherein he states - "Hundreds of hieroglyphic books were tossed into bonfires by ardent missionaries; between this disaster and the slower perils of decay, ***only four books made it through to the present day*** (my emphasis). (p. 27). In utilizing Robert J. Sharer's very fine text "The Ancient Maya" which book the archaeologist Richard Hansen personally told me is the "Bible of Maya Studies", says, "...the native books (codices) were burned, and the use of Maya script soon ceased. As a result, a considerable body of knowledge and beliefs - essential information about the calendar, cosmology, deities, ritual, medicine, and history - was lost forever." (p. 8). The facts destroy critic's silly ramblings and terrible misreadings of evidence in Mesoamerica concerning the Book of Mormon. Critics have little reality of the situation in Mesoamerica. To further our quest for understanding the truer nature of Mesoamerican problems, I quote Charles Gallenkamp from his "Maya":

"It has not been determined when or by what means pottery was introduced among the Maya, but large quantities of sherds and whole vessels are recovered in Preclasic sites." (p. 62) :Scholars are not certain how or when the Maya acquired the calendar and hieroglyphic writing." (p. 67)

"Regardless of many unanswered questions concerning the ascendancy of Early Classic culture in the lowlands, it was here that the Maya civilization reached the peak of its development." (p. 72)

"We do not know whether architects worked from plans or sketches, or what units of measurement might have been used in their design." (p. 84)

"We have almost no information about perishable arts such as weaving and featherwork, since nothing of this nature has survived except a few fragments of cloth... Unfortunately, countless specimens of other fragile crafts, including basketry, leather goods, wood carvings, and lacquered gourds, were destroyed as a consequence of burial under moist conditions, leaving few traces of what must have once been remarkable creations." (p. 89)

"Who were the gods whose veneration inspired the Maya to such marvelous accomplishments? Unfortunately the information on this subject, extracted from ethnohistoric documents, hieroglyphic codices, and excavations, is both complex and ambiguous...Even their exact number and order of importance is not clear." (p. 105)

"Information on the structure of Maya society during the Classic period is extremely limited." (p. 112)

"While little is known about sociopolitical systems during the Classic period..." (p. 116)

"Unfortunately, it is exceedingly difficult to estimate the size of Maya cities, to define their exact geographical limits, and to calculate their populations. Such obstacles arise from the dense vegetation... plus the fact that not all structures (particularly residences) left visible remains.... equally perplexing are a number of unanswered questions regarding the nature of Maya settlement patterns, the interrelationship between large centers and the many hamlets that dotted the region, and the order in which the cities ranked on the basis of population, ceremonial function, economic importance, and spheres of political influence." (p. 116)

"In sharp contrast to our knowledge of the upper classes of Maya society, archaeology has revealed few details concerning the ordinary people. Rarely do inscriptions, sculpture, and paintings focus on their activities..." (p. 125)

"Archaeologists have long been frustrated by the scarcity of information pertaining to certain aspects of Classic Maya culture. Almost nothing in the way of clothing, headdresses, furniture, or other perishable items has survived, and many facts concerning rituals, dances, warfare, and everyday activities could only be inferred from fragmentary data." (p. 138)

"Of necessity the interpretation of the murals rests partly on conjecture, especially since the significance of many details can only be surmised and certain sections are permanently destroyed." (p. 143)

"In the absence of any clear-cut explanation to account for a disaster of such magnitude [the disappearance of the Maya around 900 A.D.] archaeologists have advanced a number of theories." (p. 145) There is no guarantee that anything about the BofM will ever be found, yet this is not proof of its being made up by Joseph Smith as critics claim.