Poverty Point
Louisiana now has a World Heritage Site.
At first glance, the mounds and earthworks at Poverty Point might seem pretty unremarkable; they are what they sound like, mounds of earth rising up out of an otherwise ancient flood plain in northeast Louisiana’s West Carroll Parish. They become remarkable when one learns that the Native Americans who built them, a pre-agricultural society of hunter-gatherers, had to move upwards of fifty-three million cubic feet of soil to the site with baskets that could carry only fifty pounds at a time.
The five hundred-acre archaeological site, already designated a National Monument in 1962, was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site this June after a lengthy designation process. “The nomination process is a long process and something the department (the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism) has been working on for at least eight years,” said Cami Geisman, deputy communications director.
To be included on the World Heritage list, sites must “be of outstanding universal value” and meet at least one of ten criteria that include considerations of culture, history, technology, cultural geography, aesthetic value, geology, and/or biodiversity. "A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into the presentation and into the nomination," said Geisman.
One of only twenty-two World Heritage Sites in the United States, Poverty Point is composed of prehistoric earthworks built between 3,700 and 3,100 BP. The largest, most impressive feature of Poverty Point is the series of six concentric C-shaped rings that surround an enormous plaza. Scattered around the inside and outside of the rings are six mounds of various sizes. The site, an engineering masterpiece, was maintained as a major political, economic, and ceremonial center. The new designation is expected to attract tourists to northeast Louisiana. “This is a huge win for Louisiana. I don’t think people realize how impactful this will be to northeast Louisiana’s economy,” Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne said.
Lt. Governor Dardenne, along with the Office of Cultural Development and the Office of State Parks, will be planning special events in the near future to celebrate the site’s inscription. A visit to the site is only $4 (free for seniors and children twelve and under). Guided tours are offered daily. Open 8:30 am–5 pm. 6859 Highway 577, Pioneer, La. LaStateParks.com. (888) 926-5492.
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IN OTHER ARCHAEOLOGICAL NEWS: The Archaeological Conservancy is trying to save Prospect Hill Plantation, the site of some particularly interesting history, for research.