speculations. One caution is to not be guilty of overstatements. For example,
it can be relatively easily ascertained that the Olmec civilization matches the
time frame and localities of Jaredite civilization of these ancient Book of
Mormon peoples. What can't be stated is that all Jaredites are of the Olmec
grouping.The Olmec civilization can be placed from 1300 BC to 600 BC due to their stone sculptures. Yet the narrow region of the Olmec population is too confining for conclusion that they were the total Jaredite population. That is being limited to the east by the Tuxtlas mountains and by the Southern Mountain Range, Sierra Madre del Sur, being the metropolitan area, climax area, or nuclear zone in comparison to the entire Jaredite nation who did spread throughout the entire region of central and even into north America is too limiting. For much of the history of the Jaredite people they had divided themselves into two national groups or civilizations. So what might be the best scenario, is that the archaeological identity of the Olmec be limited to one cultural nucleus zone and is really only identifying one faction or group within the Jaredite greater population which by the end of their account comprised two great nations of people.
Have you ever wondered what 'a' Jaredite looked like? Well then, look a
Jaredite in the face as the figure at the right is likely representative of
at least how one of them may have appeared.
In actuality, according to the Book of Mormon, the Jaredite people where the first people to be brought back to the western hemisphere after the flood of Noah and the dividing of the land in the days of Peleg. They where brought by the hand of the Lord out of the Land of the Tower of Babel just prior to the confusing of the languages. This was about 2300 years BC. This fits a scenario of a young developing society starting out small and beginning to leave recognizable monuments of civilization in stone from 1300 - 600 BC. These dates, though all archaeological dating and civilization over lapping is not always so clean, seem to be preconceived to coincide with the Book of Mormon history of the Jaredite peoples, for it is right around the year 600 BC that the civilizations of the Jaredites are participating in a self annihilating civil war of extinction. It is almost too precise to be true, too ironic to be ignored, and a match that science would normally totally avoid occurring if the evidences could afford some other interpretation.
Through the stylized Olmec stone carvings, one can gain some appreciation of what these people looked like. But a couple of cautions here. One is that the form is a 'stylized' form and may not give a fair representation of the entire population. And, two is that being centrally located, it is at best a somewhat isolated sampling of the Olmec facial characteristics.
One has to consider that the faces are similar to those of the eastern world.
This would lead one to group these people with the Mongoloid races of Chinese,
Japanese, Malaysians, Mongolians, Siberians, Eskimos, and American Indians.
The eastern route to the sea is a possible avenue traveled by the early
Jaredite expedition until they reached the Pacific if they came that way. One
must also consider that the populous was derived from a small original group
which would entail much more inbreeding than that which would have occurred in
comparison to the other descendants of Noah left behind from whom the rest of the
world is made up of. And while it has many negative connotations in our
society today, how much of a 'Mongoloid' effect might the Jaredite people
experienced in the softening of facial features while not experiencing other
ill effects of mongoloid or in-breed today due to their more 'pure' genetic
make ups?
Scholars divide the 'Mesoamerian' civilization development into three periods. These are the 'Pre-Classic,' the 'Classic,' and the 'Post-Classic.' Their assumption is that the evolution of the people is one homogeneous group of people evolving from one period to another. They assume that the Olmec group grew into the later Mayan people. But they are honest enough to state, "The truth is that we do not know how the 'Mayan' civilization evolved. Any synthesis of Mayan prehistory at this point is merely speculation.
The truth from scripture, is that the Olmec or Jaredite group where only as closely related to the later 'Mayan' group as the first few generations from Noah would allow. They were a different people and evolved separate and apart from the Egyptian and Jerusalem back grounds of the Mayan who themselves where hundreds of year removed from even that middle eastern origin by the time they came to the land of Central America.
Ether assumed and reported Coriantumr as dead that day. However, Coriantumr survived. He wandered the land, retracing the coarse and chase of the battle, hoping to find a living soul left. He found no Jaredite alive, but he was 'discovered' by the fleeing remaining son of King Zedekiah, named Mulek and his group. As biblical history records, Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Babylonians, Zedekiah had been taken with all of his household. The King of Babylon had all of Zedekiah's family killed before Zedekiah's eyes, and then had Zedekiah's eyes put out. Only one son was not seen killed that day by Zedekiah. It was his son Mulek who had escaped with a group of his people to Sidon where he was able to acquire an expedition of escape as far away as possible upon the vessels of the Phoenicians. They took him to a land where the Babylonian Empire could not touch him. Whether by intend or mishap, they had brought Mulek's company to central America.
Mulek's company discovered Coriantumr or perhaps Coriantumr stumbled across them. Coriantumr lived with them for some weeks before he finally died. The last recorded Jaredite, perhaps an Olmec, was dead. What was conveyed to the new inhabitants of the now 'desolate' land of the Jaredite can only be surmised. The company of Mulek did not stay in the desolated land of the Jaredite/Olmec. They went south to the 'preserved' land of the Jaredites. Perhaps Coriantumr himself suggested it and guided them there.
One final observation: From the Book of Mormon, it is of interest that the before mentioned periods of Pre-classic, Classic, and Post-classic could well and probably do have significant relationships with the Book of Mormon's history of the Central American area. After the utter extinction of the Jaredites/Olmec, the desolated land of Central America lay vacant with the exception of the people of Mulek and their short stay, and one other notable expedition which found their way into the region. It wasn't until the time of Christ in the old world that any new colonization of the Jaredite desolated lands were even attempted. When the Colombian Book of Mormon peoples of Zarahemla began to re-enter the land, they had to build their buildings in stone for the lack of forests in the land at that time. A great conservation effort was made by the re-inhabiting people. They would let every tree grow and built mainly from stone. Thus the grand stone buildings of the Classic era and why we have these structures today. This Classical period people where a mixed grouping from the lands south. They included the descendants of Mulek, the Nephite group, and also Lamanite and Ismaelite groups. After the visit of Christ in the Americas, the people enjoyed some 200 years of peace and prosperity which was the basis of their grand achievements both architecturally and archaeologically. However, their society began to decay and the people divided into two groups and began a grand civil war which ended in the people group from South America over flowing into Central America and wiping out the highly civilized group about 420 A.D. From that time the Classical period would gradually decline and the higher degree of civilization was lost due to the less civilized nature of the conquering group. The southern conquers required their captives to deny Christ or else they where put to death. The ensuing lost of civilization and the Post-classic period match each other as to the Meso-American evidences of the area. This answers the question, 'How could a people so great to be able to build the structures of the land loose such knowledge and technological advancements as did the Mayan discovered by the Spanish. The answer is quite simple. The Mayan remaining in the 15th century were not responsible for the great civilizations. They conquered them and due to their own backgrounds and traditions, they lost whatever degree of civilization that was had by the Classical inhabitants they destroyed.
(Rev. 9-15-11)