Poverty Point World Heritage Site
Centuries ago, when Stonehenge was built and Queen Nefertiti ruled Egypt, American Indians were building earthen monuments in north Louisiana. Hand by hand and basket full by basket full, men, and women shaped nearly 2 million cubic yards of soil into stunning landscapes. The result was a massive 72-foot-tall mound, enormous concentric half-circles, and related earthworks that dwarfed every other earthen monument site for 2,200 years.
The amount of forethought and organization needed to build Poverty Point without the aid of modern instruments, domesticated animals or even wheeled carts must have been staggering. And for what reason? We still do not know, but clues are constantly being revealed. Archaeologists have much to work with, as millions of artifacts were found at the site. Domestic tools, human figurines, and tons of stones from up to 800 miles away have led to speculation that Poverty Point was an ancient residential, trade, and ceremonial center.
More mysteries: Poverty Point was abandoned around 1100 B.C. A more recent native group added another mound in about A.D. 700 but occupied only a small fraction of the site, and only for a brief period. Aside from that, there was only intermittent human use of the site for 2,900 years, until EuroAmericans settled in the area in the 1800s.
After hearing a few reports of this ancient settlement, archaeologists began systematically recording the site and collecting some of its countless artifacts. In 1962, the federal government designated it a National Historic Landmark, one of the highest honors for an archaeological site in the U.S. And in 2014, the site achieved perhaps the highest honor of all: UNESCO named Poverty Point a World Heritage Site. There are only three other archaeological sites in the U.S. with that distinction.
Hours of Operation:
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Closed:
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day
Activities:
Guided tours/demonstrations/programs
2.6-mile hiking trail
Museum/historic display
Picnic area
Entrance Fees:
$4.00 per person
Free for Seniors (62 and over)
Free for Children (3 and under)
Location:
6859 LA Hwy 577, Pioneer, LA 71266
FREE Educational Material and Activities
Students to Learn about Prehistoric Mound Builders
Explore Louisiana State Parks App
Poverty Point World Heritage Site, located in Pioneer Louisiana, is featured in an exciting app that allows visitors to experience the site in both virtual and augmented reality. The Explore Louisiana State Parks app is available for download on both Android and iOS devices and offers visitors a new way to see these incredible earthen monuments in north Louisiana.
The app requires 324.8 MB of space on your mobile device to download its features, but once you've completed your tour, you can easily delete the app and reinstall it when you're ready to visit again. During our test run of the app, we found it to be a fun and engaging way to learn about the site's history and explore its grounds.
One of the best things about this app is that kids will love it too! They'll have the chance to step back in time over 3,000 years and see the site in a whole new way. The app is also a great option for those who can't make it out to Poverty Point, as it allows users to experience the site from the comfort of their own homes.
Overall, we give the Explore Louisiana State Parks app a thumbs up for summer fun. While it's most impactful when used on-site at Poverty Point, it's still an exciting way to learn about the site and have fun at home. So why not give it a try and see the site in a whole new way?
Coming in the future, other parks and historic sites will have a unique chapter, accessible via the Explore Louisiana State Parks app that will provide the user with an immersive experience exclusive to each site. Poverty Point World Heritage Site, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the first chapter allowing visitors a visual and interactive experience unveiling the incredible history and legacy with more Parks and Historic Sites to follow.
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