I'm a bit uncomfortable with the manner in which we've approached this
subject. The participants discussed this on two lists, so I've attached the
responses all beneath this message, roughly in chronological order (first
message at the top and responses beneath).
I'm not a member of any LDS community, but as an archaeologist who studies
the history of Mormon communities, I've worked closely with a number of LDS
scholars over the past five years. One element of this thread has made me
uncomfortable is the idea that there is a single "Mormon way" of thought
regarding evolution or archaeology. I know the original intent of Paul's
question was quite innocent, but I've been concerned about the manner in
which the discussion has developed.
LDS scholars hold diverse and quite sophisticated ideas on complex concepts
such as evolution, and that diversity extends into the broader context of
LDS communities. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has an
archaeology unit, including archaeologist T. Michael Smith. The main
concern of this archaeology unit is to provide compliance and guidance on
historic-sites archaeology projects undertaken as part of the church's
official restoration program. The archaeologists working in this unit do
research and write reports and face exactly the same challenges and
opportunities as other archaeologists working for groups like the NPS
historic sites or religious shrines. Important contributions to the
intellectual history of Historical Archaeology in the United States derive
from such projects, including the Nauvoo Temple project initially led by
Virginia and Pinky Harrington, for example. Ben Pykles, who posted below,
completed a Thesis under this overall program.
At the same time, Brigham Young University includes archaeology faculty.
These archaeologists have in the past undertaken research in Mesoamerica and
around the world seeking evidence of the stories contained in the Book of
Mormon, but this endeavor fell away over the last thirty years. I have not
worked very closely with the biblical or Mesoamerican archaeologists at BYU,
but I don't find their current research too far removed from other biblical
and classical archaeology. One final point, these archaeologists at BYU are
like faculty at any major religious college- they have complete academic
freedom in determining the directions of their research. I do not wish to
minimize the importance of LDS faith in each person's life, but I want to
dispel the idea that there is some kind of LDS cabal holed up in a smoke
filled room plotting to construct a subversive master narrative!
University of Utah and Utah State tend to be epicenters of evolution-driven
archaeology. At the same time, they undertake prehistoric archaeology
exclusively and are distinctively Non-Mormon universities. Since the
retirement of Dale Berge, BYU no longer maintains a visible research program
in historic archaeology either. Generally speaking in the state, there is a
powerful and seriously flawed boundary between the scientifically-driven
archaeology of Native American history and the preservation-based mitigation
of historic sites. This is a critical problem that deserves a separate
discussion in a different thread.
Regarding teaching evolution, I've found a number of very diverse positions
on the subject. Some of these positions have been expressed below, but we
must all keep in mind that archaeology and evolution inhabit important
socio-political contexts. The article cited by tanithastarte@yahoo below,
for example, is reprinted on a web site maintained by a group dedicated to
converting the Mormons to save them from damnation.
We should even keep in mind that there are several "official" churches
related to the main Latter-Day Saint church, including the RLDS (reformed
LDS) as the largest group. The church also contains a tremendous diversity
of ethnic groups- from Samoans to Native Americans.
I suspect that school curricula often respond to local needs, so districts
will vary from one community to another. I've spoken with students with
quite solid understanding of evolutionary biology and geological history.
At the same time, I've dug in a pit while the students visiting above spoke
of Jesus and the Dinosaurs. Each town often included a very different
atmosphere. Keep in mind that the "official" position held by the Church
leaders in SLC, academic positions held by BYU scholars, and real-world
perspectives in each community will vary. Even when reciting history, the
"official" church museum narratives often diverge from the stories presented
in the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers museums around the Mormon Domain, and
the articles written by LDS scholars who contribute to state division of
history publications.
I suppose that we'd frame these questions very differently if we asked "What
is the official position of Blacks/Baptists on teaching evolution..." or
"What do Lesbians think of evolution?" I know that Paul's original post was
not intended to be essentialist or stereotypical, but I've found this
dichotomizing framework quite frustrating in recent years.
My best,
Tim Scarlett
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Barford [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2004 07:59
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [ArchTheoMeth] Mormon archaeologies
>
> Considering the problems US schools have had in determining how to teach the
> origins of life in various parts of the country, can anyone tell me whether
> prehistory is taught differently in the states with high Mormon populations
> such as Utah and Idaho? How are the relationships between the civilizations
> at the east end of the Mediterranean Sea and the prehistory of America's
> native populations presented in the curricula and school textbooks used in
> those areas?
>
> Paul Barford
>
>
------ Forwarded Message
From: Benjamin Pykles <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2004 20:26:13 -0400
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: FW: [ArchTheoMeth] Mormon archaeologies
Although I currently do not live in the Mormon Domain, I have in the past,
and have relatives who live there now. In fact, my mother-in-law teaches
fourth grade in Logan, Utah (extreme northern Utah).
Part of the fourth grade curriculum in Utah is state history. Consequently,
the Utah Interagency Task Force on Cultural Resources, in conjunction with
the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service,
and The State of Utah published a Teacher's Activity Guide for Fourth
through Seventh Grades entitled, "Intrigue of the Past: Investigating
Archaeology" (1992). The authors are: Shelley Smith, Jeanne Moe, Kelly
Letts, and Danielle Paterson.
My mother-in-law (who is Mormon and is teaching students who are
predominantly Mormon) uses this text each year in her classroom. Section Two
of the text ("Utah's First People") includes a timeline, which begins with
the Paleoindians and ends with Modern Navajo. In addition, there are
chapters devoted to Paleoindian, Archaic, Fremont, Anasazi, Numic and Navajo
peoples.
I do not know which chapters my mother-in-law uses in class, but the
prehistoric indigenous past(s) is/are clearly and accurately represented in
the text.
So, I believe information regarding America's indigenous populations is
available and accurate in schools within the Mormon Domain. I do not know,
however, whether or not (or how) the information within the text(s) is
taught to the students.
Benjamin Pykles
University of Pennsylvania
------ Forwarded Message
From: "Isabelle" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 21:29:59 -0000
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ArchTheoMeth] Re: Mormon archaeologies
> even paleolithic. I don't know much about Mormonism but
> perhaps they are not young earth creationists.
As far as I know, Mormons are YECs
But check this:
http://www.mrm.org/multimedia/text/mormonism-evolution.html I think
Paul might find it of interest
------ Forwarded Message
From: "Todd L. VanPool" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 14:51:21 -0600
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ArchTheoMeth] Mormon archaeologies
Hi Paul,
I grew up Mormon in Twin Falls, Idaho, a small town in southern Idaho. I
graduated from High School in 1987. It is about 3 to 4 hours from Salt
Lake City, and is about 30% Mormon. Evolution was taught in public school
and was not challenged by the Church. We never talked about evolution
during religious meetings and, to my knowledge, the church has not
challenged the teaching of evolution in any context. I observe that
evolution is taught at BYU in the biology department. I have always had
the feeling that the Mormons felt the same way that the Catholics generally
do; science is science and religion is religion.
I am afraid that I don't recall any discussion of archaeology and the
origins of humans in the New World in my high school. We did talk about
the Black Foot, the Ute, and the other tribes of the West, and I suspect
that we probably did talk about the landbridge and the ice-free corridor,
although I don't remember for sure. "Lamanites" and the _Book of Mormon_
story were never discussed in school.
Take care,
Todd
------------------------
Todd L. VanPool, Ph.D.
Department of Anthropology
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131
------ Forwarded Message
From: "mid17den" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 11:43:43 -0000
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ArchTheoMeth] Re: Mormon archaeologies
That is a very interesting question. I know that Brigham Young
University, in the past, did mostly biblical archaeology but I have
also heard they are also doing more earlier stuff - neolithic and
even paleolithic. I don't know much about Mormonism but
perhaps they are not young earth creationists. I know there is no
problem with Catholicism, at least "officially".
*******************************************************************
Timothy James Scarlett
Assistant Professor of Archaeology
Program in Industrial History and Archaeology
Department of Social Sciences
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Drive
Houghton, Michigan 49931-1295 USA
Tel (906) 487-2359 Fax (906) 487-2468 Internet [log in to unmask]
MTU Website: http://www.industrialarchaeology.net
SHA Website: http://www.sha.org SIA Website: http://www.sia-web.org
*******************************************************************
"When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is
possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is
impossible, he is very probably wrong."
Arthur C. Clarke (1917-)
Profile of the Future, 1973
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