The precolumbian horses.

Based on the broad sweeping statements and generalizations that are made by the Smithsonian and most Archeologist, Historians and anthropologist about the Americas, there is a problem of perception. The Americas are perceived as a whole and not as a regional geographical areas. The 1996 Smithsonian statement regarding the book of Mormon is typical. American  Indians had not wheat, barley, oats, miller, rice, cattle, pigs, chickens, horses, donkeys,  camels, before 1492, Is one example. Professor Mcgee’s  declaration is truly reflective of nearly all pre 1998 archeologist, historians and anthropolist, ’’ The first cattle, horses, chickens, and pigs were all brought to the new world by the Spaniards.’’ In a field of study where their credibility is already suspect because they cannot field test their hypotheses, one would hope for more prudent statements Passionate assertions is a poor substitute for good science. This is another problem that afflicts many in all the sciences,and in particular archeologist, historians and anthropologist. It is the Gnostic mentality, because they have specialized knowledge in their area of expertise, they are arrogant. What they fail to recognize is that they are not the only ones who have been trained in the specific process. How their gather information and their preconceived biases affects their findings and conclusions. All scientists are subject to scrutiny by those equally educatedin the methods of scientific investigation. In this case it was the preconceived bias that  “the Spaniards brought the first cattle, horses, chickens and pigs’’… to the new world … that has resulted in flawed conclusions and hasty judgments against the book of Mormon. This same bias still persist with many in the scientific community. Instead of evaluating as an option the written histories and oral traditions of the Mesoamericans, which claimed their ancestors had traveled across the great waters to Mesoamerica. They were summarily rejected in favor of the preconceived bias of the Siberian land bridge. The evidence for multiple Viking settlements and the artifacts associated with them were, and still considered by most of the archeologist and anthropologist “a ridiculous subject of study of far less serious consideration than alchemy, Ouija boards, flying saucers and moon cheese. The book of Mormon claims need to be evaluated on a regional or microregiona basis, most os the statements made in the book of Mormon are time and place sensitive. There are regional statements which are true for that area. After  the lehites arrived to Mesoamerica and were journeying  in the wilderness,  Nephi commented on the gold, silver, copper, and on the animals in that region. (1 nephi 18:25) His statements must be taken to mean that particular habitat, and not all north and south America. If pre-Columbian chickens are found in south America  increases the probability of finding chickens in Mesoamerica, given the diffusionist reality, but would be an overstatement. With less than two per cent of the known Mesoamerican ruins excavated one would want to err on the side of caution. Book of Mormon scholars need to be equally cautious about archeological claims. The current focus has been on the viability of the book of Mormon as history. The basic assumptions of the majority of anthropologist and archeologist have been wrong regarding many vital issues affecting the viability of the book of Mormon as history. One of the most important  is how the Americas were settled . Their obsession with the “Siberian land bridge only” doctrine precluded serious examination of pre-columbians transoceanic travel to the Americas . The anthropological disdain for diffusionism from Europe, Africa, or the mid eastto the Americas from 2200 BC to AD 1500 has prevent an open and honest look at legitimate artifacts. The arrogant dismissal of the extent of Viking influence in north America and their continual refusals to acknowledge hard evidence, u.i., pre-columbian peppers found in medieval lund, Sweden, by a paleo botanist; butternut wood found at L’Anse  aux meadows demonstrating Viking penetration as far south as the great lakes; and the Viking coin of Olaf Kyrie dated  1065 AD to 1065 AD found in Maine and called the Maine penny. The assumption that the Spaniards were the first to introduce horses, cattle, chickens, etc.  to the Americas, and the rejection of any evidence to the contrary  does not bode well for their scientific credibility. The fact is the Spanish introduced new breeds of European horses to the Americas, just as Canadian wolves were introduced into Yellowstone national park to replace the smaller and extinct American wolf. Evidences of pre-columbian horses are just now being allowed to come forth. There are horse bones, not prehistoric, but pre-Columbian, at the caves in the Yucatan at uxmal, that date to the time of the book of Mormon There is a stone, engraving of a horse at chichen itza on the temple of tableros, which I have personally seen. At Tulum in Mexico’s  Yucatan there is an embossed equine on the northern wall of el Castillo this would indicate awareness of horses 200 years before the Spanish arrived. People who sailed the oceans brought animals with them. think of the Vikings. Also, who is to say the chickens traveled from the islands to south America? They may also have traveled from south America to the islands carried by humans. There are today 80,000 horses in Iceland. How did they get there? They were originally brought in ships by the Vikings around AD. 800. “when peaceful Vikings settled Iceland more than a thousand years ago they brought their horses with them in open Viking long boats, Braving the cruel north atlantic.” This are the same Vikings who came to north America in ships and established several communities along the saint Lawrence seaway as well as L’Anse aux meadows in newfoundland. It is absurd to believe that a group of settlers would have not taken cattle, horses, sheep, and chickens with them. The Vikings caught fish, hunted game animals, picked berries and had brought meat, cattle, and poultry from Iceland, the cattle not only provided food but some also produced milk (and eventually dairy products). The chickens not only provided meat but also eggs and their chicks maintained the poultry system. In AD 1008 Thorfinn Karsefni brought 60 people (including 5 women) to Vinland. He continued the practice of bringing cattle and sheep from Europe and traded furs, skins etc with the aboriginal people. Also there is concrete evidence of pre-Columbian cayenne pepper found in lund Sweden, from the middle ages long before Columbus set sail. It was discovered by an evolutionist, the renowened  paleo botanist Hakon Hjelmqvist.  The Vikings obviously had contact with the people as far south as the gulf of mexico. Capsicum annum, from which cayenne pepper , bell peppers, jalapenos, and paprika come, originated in mexico and central America. Later cayenne peppers along with many other Mesoamerican foods were introduced to the rest of the world by Spanish and Portuguese sailors