Poverty Point Historic Site, Louisiana
These dirt mounds at and around Poverty Point are beyond most others in size and age. The nearby Lower Jackson Mound has been dated to about 3900 BC. It’s thought that the impressive mounds and half-circles here were shaped by hand.
What isn’t yet known is the ruins’ purpose, though ongoing archaeological studies into the ground and artifacts suggest it may have been both a residential and trade center. Adding to the mystery, Poverty Point was abandoned sometime around 1100 BC, and another Native group moved in around AD 700, contributing another mound to the landscape.
