19th century, archaeological finds (e.g. earth and timber fortifications and towns, the use of a plaster - like cement, ancient roads, metal points and implements, copper breastplates, head - plates, textiles, pearls, native North American inscriptions, North American elephant remains etc.) is not interpreted
by mainstream academia as
proving the historicity or divinity of the Book of Mormon.This evidence is viewed
by mainstream
scholars as a work of fiction that parallels
others within the 19th century «Mound - builder» genre that were pervasive at the time.