Verified32.6367° N · 91.4114° W · 38 m
Poverty Point (Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point)
Poverty Point National Monument
Late Archaic 1700–1100 BCE (peak 1500–1200 BCE)·Poverty Point culture·🇺🇸 Louisiana, United States
About
About Poverty Point (Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point)
Late Archaic earthwork complex (1700–1100 BCE) with six concentric C-shaped ridges (1.2 km outer diameter) and six mounds, including 22 m-high Mound A – one of largest Archaic earthworks in North America, built by hunter-gatherer-fisher Poverty Point culture without agriculture or chiefdom evidence.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01How hunter-gatherers organized large labor force without hierarchy
- 02Function of concentric ridges – residences vs ceremonial
Theories
- 01Seasonal aggregation model vs permanent town; trade in lithic materials from 1000 km away proves long-distance exchange
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- 1700–1100 BCE
- Period
- Late Archaic 1700–1100 BCE (peak 1500–1200 BCE)
- Culture
- Poverty Point culture
- Purpose
- Ceremonial center, trade hub and seasonal gathering place; astronomical alignment debated
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
1700–1100 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1119 CE
Abandonment
On the ground
Structures & features
32.6367° N · 91.4114° W · 38 m · 3 mapped features
- 32.6375° N · 91.4047° W
Mound A (t-shaped, 22 m high)
earthwork - 32.6361° N · 91.4110° W
Ridge 1 Outer Concentric Ridge
earthwork - 32.6350° N · 91.4090° W
Mound B inner mound
mound
Gallery