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1700BCc. 1700–1100 BC · Epps, Louisiana

Poverty Point earthworks

Aerial view of the concentric earthen ridges at Poverty Point, Louisiana, under drifting morning mist
Photo: Jennifer R. Trotter. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hunter-fisher-gatherers built six concentric earthen ridges and several great mounds on Macon Ridge in northeast Louisiana, moving vast amounts of earth by hand without farming or draught animals. Copper, stone and other materials reached the site from as far as the Great Lakes and the Appalachians. A World Heritage Site since 2014, it shows how complex a society without agriculture could become.

Sites

  1. Site 1: Poverty Point World Heritage Site visitor centre and ridgesMuseum, viewing tower and trails across the concentric ridges.Map ↗
  2. Site 2: Mound AA huge earthen mound, among the largest in North America, climbable by stairs.Map ↗

Guides who take you there

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More from the Prehistory

Read more: reference. Summary written by History-Tours.com.