Incidentally, my grandfather and father were archaeologists in the areas of Ohio, KY, and Indiana. I have, alongside them and their teams, dug dozens of earthworks and found fascinating things mostly from the Hopewell and Adena cultures. None of which indicate anything, at all, that suggests an inkling of credibility to a tie to the BoM Lamanites, etc.
I am not a believer in the BoM / Joseph Smith, but in my own personal experience and within my own sphere of empirical knowledge, if I were a believer, I'd look to the south and focus more on the Teotihuacan areas of influence where things line up at least semi-plausibly.
As a personal revelation, of sorts, I'm willing to explain myself to you a little further. . . .
In 1977-9, for intensely personal and private reasons, I stopped going to LDS meetings even though my wife at the time was employed at LDS Church headquarters in a position of trust where she dealt with historical artifacts and records which even the general authorities of that time could not personally access or view except by going through a vetting process of explaining their purpose and securing an unanimous vote of "common consents" from their fellow authorities. Yes, sir. Not even Spencer Kimball could get around these rules. . . . And my wife was constantly attended by an armed security guard when she crossed the threshold into the vault filled with records that won't publicly be acknowledged or referenced. . . .
During my self-imposed hiatus in my "Mormonism", I read everything I could find from the anti-LDS folks of the day. I wanted to put myself in the situation of being actually free to take a fresh look at Mormonism, without the constraints of sentimental or emotive ties or controls. . . .
My wife of that era left the LDS Church in fact, but without disclosing her true position on the faith. . . . and left me as well. . . . and married and/or lived with a series of anti-Mormon men, one a "Born again Christian", and the other an inactive and critical disbelieving Mormon. The disbeliever facilitated and pretended to sympathize with her doubtings, but lost out romantically. . . if you could call it that. . . . to the Born Again Christian on the whole personal relationship interest, for a while at least. She and the BAC man moved to Texas where she got a good job and was accepted into the little Texas social circles of Dubya Bush, governor of Texas at that time.
She didn't stop talking to me for over ten years after she left me, so I knew a little, what she was willing for me to know. Ultimately, however, she broke up with the BAC guy and moved back to Utah, and married the disbelieving Mormon-in-name-only. After some time, they were retrieved by the LDS Church, re-activated and got their "temple marriage". I haven't heard from her since. She lives in my sister's stake, and I on some occasions get confronted by my sister on the gossip and/or allegations passed out by that ex-wife. . . . .
All in all, I'd say she's one of the most adroit liars I've ever known, capable of completely bamboozling me in the first instance, other men as well, including the highest LDS officials. . . .
I could not really place incautious faith in any of her stories, including her "revelations" of the inner workings of the LDS historical department or Presiding Bishop's office, of course. I consider it not worthwhile doubting that her uncle, however, was indeed a filipino hit man involved in the assassination of Benigno Aquino who later had a personal association with the Bushes, possibly though CIA connections, who could indeed escort his neices through the Dubya ranch doors with no questions asked. . . .. the possibility is as instructive as any fact could be.
All of this long-past personal saga was churned a bit in early November when the super Typhoon Yoli made a direct hit on my ex-wife's mothers' home town. . . . .