Where Are The Ruins of Cities and Roads, the Forts and Fortresses? – Part II

Continuing with the subject of the Malay Peninsula Theory as a site for the Land of Promise, we come to the ancient records and ruins found in Malaysia. Despite Ralph Olsen claiming “The civilization dates to the proper time period, and has had chariots, iron, silk, etc.,” we do not find any such indication of civilization of any accomplishments from 2200 B.C. onward, or 600 B.C. onward. In fact, the archaeological record of the Malay Peninsula is very sparse regarding such development as described in the Book of Mormon:

“Having traveled in a land among many waters, having discovered a land which was covered with bones of men, and of beasts, and was also covered with ruins of buildings of every kind, having discovered a land which had been peopled with a people who were as numerous as the hosts of Israel” (Ether 8:8).

“And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance” (2 Nephi 5:15).

In Malay, ancient ruins on the Peninsula are considered to be no earlier than 650-900 A.D., from the Kota Gelanggi, an archaeological site uncovered in 2005 that is considered one of the earliest pre-Islamic Malay Kingdoms on the peninsula. These ruins and ancient tombs were first referenced in the Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals), with the main fort of Kota Gelanggi constructed in black stone. This city-fort was built at least 250 years after the annihilation of the Nephites, and maybe even later.

In addition, the Kota Gelanggi Caves of Jerantut hold Stone Age sites, with no evidence of substantial habitation beyond that period having been found despite extensive archaeological digs. In the area near Funan (Zhenia), along the east coast, the ruins of Langkasuka (Lanyaxu) date to 1st or 2nd Century A.D., and consist of concentric earthwork ramparts and canals that were dug for utilitarian purposes rather than defense, and opened ports to the sea for trade. It is still hoped that ceramic shards may be found in these sites, but nothing to date. There have also been Buddhist sanctuaries found, made of stacked brick without mortar—the first Budhist Temple built in China is claimed to have been built in 29 to 75 A.D., but the well-known Tanzhe Temple was built around 400 A.D., and the Guaghua temple in 558 A.D. So it seems unlikely that any of these earthen ramparts and brick walls predate the Christian era into the Nephite building period.

In all of the Malay Peninsula, there are no fortresses as yet uncovered, or any other buildings in any state of ruin, that dates to the Nephite era, let alone as far back as the Jaredites. What some early archaeologists thought were ramparts, that is earth piled up to form a defensive wall, turned out to be the digging of canals for the movement of water for irrigation, since the many rivers do not extend into the sea because of silt build up at their mouths. Rivers and streams were used for irrigation in ancient times because of the need for much water to irrigate the very poor soil for growing crops.

“And there were many highways cast up, and many roads made, which led from city to city, and from land to land, and from place to place” 3 Nephi 6:8).

Owing to the rise of the Persian Empire (550-330 B.C.), the inland commerce of western Asia was somewhat shifted during the period from the sixth to the fourth century B. C. The old routes of traffic passing through countries controlled by the Persians were not only kept in good condition but extensions were also made. These old highways of transcontinental commerce underwent further changes at the time of the Greek conquests under Alexander the Great at the close of the fourth century B. C. However, not a single ancient road of any kind is found in all of the Malay Peninsula. This is because the Malay people were maritime people, living along the coasts of their land, and using shipping for the conveyance of times, products, and people rather than inland roads.

In addition, beginning around 100 B.C. and onward, the Malay Peninsula was the crossroads for the great wave of commercial relationships along the very famous maritime Silk Road. This means that in Ralph Olsen’s Land of Promise, traders from about every kingdom and nation in the South Seas to Arabia traveled through Malay, with these exchanges by representatives of all the civilizations of Asia who entered into contact along its shores, leaving a part of themselves, as can be seen in the great stylistic diversity of the religious and commercial artifacts archaeologists have been found in the area. Obviously, and without question, such activity would have made any possibility of keeping other nations from knowing about Lehi’s Land of Promise impossible.

(See the next post, “Where Are The Ruins of Cities and Roads, the Forts and Fortresses? – Part III, for more information on how the Malay Peninsula does not match the scriptural record)