The Earthworks At Louisiana's Poverty Point Look Like Something From Another Planet
By Jackie Ann|Published September 28, 2020
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Jackie Ann
Author
Louisiana native and LSU Alum (Geaux Tigers!), Jackie has lived in Louisiana for over three decades and currently lives in New Orleans. She's been writing for OnlyInYourState since 2016 and can often be found with a coffee at her side, dreaming of her next adventure.
Long before there were Cajuns, there was a community that lived along Bayou Macon over 3,000 years ago. They didn’t leave much behind, forcing archaeologists and historians to piece together the puzzles through artifacts found through digs and research throughout the years. Few places can compare to Poverty Point in Louisiana, one of the most historic hidden gems in the Pelican State. Let’s check it out.
Welcome to Poverty Point, one of Louisiana’s most historic hidden gems.
Built by hand, Poverty Point is truly an incredible sight to behold. From an arial view, you’ll notice that it looks like a series of concentric half-circles and mounds nestled around the bayou.
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In its heyday, the result was massive earthworks, some topping over 70 feet tall.
These massive structures were the biggest earthworks for over 2,000 years. Taking multiple generations to complete, it's truly a mystery how something so massive was built, and why.
This historic World Heritage Site is still quite the mystery, but we are slowly piecing together the day-to-day lives of this community that lived here so many years ago.
