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Phoenician Ship Open House Newspaper Account

Phoenician Ship Open House Newspaper Account (7/23/2023) Dateline Montrose, Iowa July 14th, 2023 by Donna Lawson, Nauvoo, Illinois THE WORLD’S OLDEST SHIP REPLICA, THE PHOENICIAN, REVEALS ANCIENT MARITIME L   Dateline Montrose, Iowa July 14th, 2023 by Donna Lawson, Nauvoo, Illinois THE WORLD’S OLDEST SHIP REPLICA, THE PHOENICIAN, REVEALS ANCIENT MARITIME LGEGACY In an extraordinary display of seafaring craftsmanship, the Phoenician people constructed ships in 600 BC that proved resilient against the treacherous waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Crafted from black walnut, olive wood and cedar of Lebanon, these vessels boasted a unique combination of strength and flexibility. Preservation efforts […]

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Hollywood Comes to the Phoenicia

HOLLYWOOD COMES TO THE PHOENICIA (7/11/2023) HOLLYWOOD COMES TO THE PHOENICIA TO MAKE MAJOR FILM Last week a Hollywood crew came to the Phoenician Ship Museum to take eight hours of film. The fi   HOLLYWOOD COMES TO THE PHOENICIA TO MAKE MAJOR FILM – By John Lefgren Last week a Hollywood crew came to the Phoenician Ship Museum to take eight hours of film. The film producer has a clear script. He intends to spend a million dollars creating a film where he will connect our Phoenician ship to the hundreds of ancient copper pits in Michigan and to

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Heartland Research Group – Q&A #1 – About

Heartland Research Group – Q&A (6/20/2023) For those interested in the latest Heartland Research Group news, here is an update in a Q&A format. Q1. I’ve seen some of your expedition activities   For those interested in the latest Heartland Research Group news, here is an update in a Q&A format. Q1. I’ve seen some of your expedition activities in the past. What are you doing now? A1. We had the opportunity to acquire “The Phoenicia” sailing ship and we did so. The Phoenicia is a modern replica of a 600BC sailing vessel that crossed the Atlantic in 2019, proving

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Meeting at the Embassy of Lebanon in Washinton DC

MEETING AT EMBASSY OF LEBANON IN WASHINGTON, D.C. (2/10/2023) TODAY HEARTLAND RESEARCH VISITED THE EMBASSY OF LEBANON IN WASHINGTON, D.C. Heartland Research met for two hours in the Ambassador’s Officer the lead   TODAY HEARTLAND RESEARCH VISITED THE EMBASSY OF LEBANON IN WASHINGTON, D.C. Heartland Research met for two hours in the Ambassador’s Officer the leaders of the Lebanese Embassy. The reception was warm and friendly. We started the meeting by mentioning that Lebanon is a small country with a large history. The inventions of the Phoenicians continue to influence so much of the world today. The Phoenician writing system

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HRG History — by Jay Mackley
HISTORY AND MISSION STATEMENT OF THE

The Heartland Research Group is a grassroots, boots-on-the-ground organization that believes that the historical narrative of the Book of Mormon took place in the Heartland of North America. The HRG is active in archaeological research and in the acquisition, restoration and display of ancient American artifacts. The HRG is currently preparing an ancient ship replica called the "Phoenicia" for display. The ships construction design is patterned after a shipwreck dating to 600 BC. The Phoenicia ship made modern voyages, first around Africa and then also from the Middle East to Florida in 2019 – proving that voyages around Africa or from Sidon to North America were feasible anciently.

Heartland Research Inc is a 501c3 private operating foundation for archaeological research and to complete preparations for the Phoenicia display. Current plans are for a museum large enough to house the Phoenicia ship and many other ancient artifacts and exhibits from North America. The location of the museum is planned to be in Zarahemla which is Lee County Iowa, near the Mississippi river and east of Nauvoo, Illinois.

Our activities are too many to list, but some recent major expeditions are listed below. Many of these expeditions are open-ended and we expect to continue research in these and other similar activities as time, resources, and volunteers become available. We have dozens of volunteers and hundreds of donors, large and small, but we need many more. Check out the websites listed below for details of Heartland Research Group projects. Our current project is is our biggest yet: to refurbish the Phoenicia ship for display.


Go to the Donation Page


We invite you to support our efforts so we can complete these worthy goals!
If you have skills or knowledge to contribute to our research and discovery projects, please contact us directly to volunteer.


  • What: Sonar scanning of Mississippi between Nauvoo and Keokuk. The purpose of the expedition was to discover a crossing route that ancient people could have taken.
  • Who: Heartland Research Inc volunteers.
  • Where: Between Keokuk and Nauvoo, Iowa.
  • How: Private donations of money, time and equipment.

  • What: Magnetic scanning of 221 acres of farmland near Montrose, Iowa. The purpose of the expedition was the discovery of fire-pits and other evidence of ancient occupation.
  • Who: Members of the Heartland Research Inc, local farmers, volunteers, plus technicians from German company SYNSYS. Signs of habitation were found with magnetometery scanning and then C14 dating.
  • Where: Near Montrose Iowa and between Montrose and Fort Madison Iowa.
  • How: Large and small donations of money, time and equipment.

  • What: A one week seminar in Fort Madison, Iowa with 25+ participants. Included visits to the Putnam museum in Davenport, Iowa. There were twelve presentations on the ancient history and written languages of the upper Mississippi.
  • Who: Members of Heartland Research Inc plus presenters and interested attendees.
  • Where: Fort Madison, Iowa.
  • How: Private donations for space, time and lodging.

  • What: Ground penetrating electrical resistivity scanning for building foundations using electrical resistivity equipment from LandVisor.
  • Who: Members of Heartland Research Inc and volunteers.
  • Where: Zarahemla in Lee County, Iowa.
  • How: Private donations and ground support.

  • What: Metal analysis for alloy content. Ancient arrow and spearhead found in Wisconsin stream of cast bronze.
  • Who: Heartland Research Group
  • Where: Sample found in Wisconsin stream by scuba diver.
  • How: Private donations for lab analysis.

  • What: High resolution LiDAR scanning by supporter Air Data Solutions of 34,000 acres in Lee County, Iowa and also part of Illinois. The focus was to create high quality digital maps showing the terrain of the land, especially in the foothill areas where large earthworks are found. Discovery of 5-10 miles of ancient earthworks from LiDAR using QGIS and ArcGIS visualization software.
  • Who: Members of Heartland Research Inc plus AirData Solutions Inc.
  • Where: Lee County, Iowa and also part of Illinois, covering the much of Nauvoo.
  • How: Private donations for services, data processing, and analysis.

  • What: Commence process of restoring the world's oldest ship replica from 600BC, which has circumnavigated Africa and crossed the Atlantic ocean from the Middle East to America.
  • Who: Members of Heartland Research Inc plus volunteers.
  • Where: Lee County, Iowa between Montrose and Fort Madison.
  • How: Private donations for materials, space, and equipment plus donations in labor.

Mission Statement

The Heartland Research Group researches archaeological evidence of the ancient civilizations of America.
Heartland Research Group activities include:

  • Field Research
    Uses archeological techniques and scanning technologies to reveal the remains of ancient civilizations.
  • Ancient Artifacts
    Encourages and facilitate study of ancient North American artifacts, including tablets, tools, weapons, metal works, and other items.
  • Geography
    Research and develop maps, using scanning technologies and other means, to identify the locations and activities of ancient civilizations.
  • Linguistics
    Analyze and translate ancient writings found in North America, especially those relating to other civilizations world wide.
  • Preservation and Display
    Collect, restore, preserve, catalog and exhibit ancient artifacts and replicas, and make them readily available to researchers and viewable to the public.
  • Archaeology, Geology, and History
    Study and research into all aspects archaeology, geology, and history that shed light on ancient North American peoples and cultures.
  • Promotion and Support
    Raise awareness of our activities. Work directly with and support individuals and groups in activities that share our same goals.
The Heartland Research Group welcomes researchers and interested parties of all backgrounds to share their analysis and findings of ancient American heartland civilizations.

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