Spend A Weekend Exploring Poverty Point, The Oldest Attraction In Louisiana
By Jackie Ann|Published April 23, 2021
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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.
Up in the northeast corner of Louisiana lies one of the most fascinating historical attractions in the entire state, and many don’t even know it exists. Once a thriving community, Poverty Point is an incredible mystery that historians and archaeologists are still trying to piece together. You could easily spend an entire day walking the grounds and observing all of the artifacts that have been collected, but why rush? This is one of those attractions that you’ll want to take your time, so we’ve paired up the perfect weekend with Poverty Point and a nearby state park by the same name so that both history and nature lovers can have a relaxing getaway.
When you visit Poverty Point, you’ll be met with rolling hills, sprawling green space, and a hint of mystery swirling around.
The people that lived at Poverty Point more than 3,000 years ago didn’t leave any written record of their lives, leaving many question marks for current historians and archaeologists.
For starters, how was the site even constructed? Basketful by basketful, nearly two million cubic yards of soil was moved by hand, resulting in a massive 70+ foot-tall mound with surrounding earthworks nearby.
To give you a better idea, let’s take to the skies to see the area from a bird’s eye view. These massive structures dwarfed every other earthly monument for well over 2,000 years.
Nestled along the beautiful Bayou Macon, its clear that the bayou played an important role in the development of the community, including being a food source and highway for imports and exports.
Many of the rocks and stone artifacts that have been discovered aren't from Louisiana, leading historians to the conclusion that the bayou was used to bring in materials from other parts of the country.
