Introduction to Poverty Point Memorial Cenotaph

Poverty Point is an archaeological and historical site in Louisiana, United States, dating back to BC. 1700-1100 BC and includes one of the most important Native American mound sites in pre-colonial America. It was once the site of a large residential complex, built on a platform earthen C-shaped ridge facing the central square, with a ceremonial mound and other mounds surrounding the ridge.

The construction of the site demonstrates a belief in sacred geometry, where shapes focus spiritual power and provide protection. The C-shaped ridges suggest a circle (some archaeologists suggest they continued into the area now occupied by the river and formed a circle until washed away), while the position of the outer mounds suggests a square shape.

The site, long thought to be the oldest mound complex in the United States, was unequivocally dated until the discovery in the 1980s of a site known as Watson Brake in roughly the same area to BC. 3500 BC. The names of the original inhabitants are unknown, and the modern name comes from the plantation where the mound was discovered in the 19th century.

The Poverty Point Memorial Cenotaph was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014.

No one recognized these ridges as man-made constructions until the 1950s (by which time they had been plowed repeatedly to grow crops), although the site was thought to be Native American as early as the 1830s community, and excavations began as early as 1913 by the famous C. B. Moore (l. 1852-1936), who investigated many other Native American mound sites. Interest in the site grew in the 1950s, and the Poverty Point Memorial Cenotaph was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, allowing for ongoing construction while preserving the site. Archaeological work carried out.

Antiquity and Mound Architecture

Poverty Point was built during the Archaic period (8000-1000 BC) when many mound sites began to spread throughout North America. Archaeologist Joe Saunders, who has worked at this and many other sites, commented:

Over the five thousand years of earth-making, there have been periods of both construction and stagnation. cycle. The first stasis lasted for a thousand years, between the end of the Middle Archaic period (2700 BCE) and the beginning of the Poverty Point memorial mound (1700 BCE). The second lasted about five hundred years, between the end of the memorial mound at Poverty Point (1200 BC) and the beginning of Tchefuncte (500 BC). Although no mounds were built during either stasis, campsites dating to each period have been discovered. Native people continued to live on the lower Mississippi River; they apparently did not build mounds at that time. (1)

The reasons for the nearly constant periods of building and stagnant periods are unclear, nor is it clear why construction of the mounds began in the first place. While the mounds were built by many different cultures across the continent, the two most famous are the Adena Culture (800 BCE - 1 CE) and the Hopewell Culture (100 BCE - 500 CE). The period known as the Mississippian culture is usually, but not always, dated to c. 1100-1540 AD. The names of all these cultures are modern, and the so-called Mississippian cultural period is more fluid than usual scholarly dating suggests.

The archaeological dating of a mound is always determined by what has been discovered and excavated so far, so strict periodization is unhelpful as it creates a "development" from one era to another Man-made narratives, when in fact the Native American cultures that created the mounds, the mound sites all maintain their own traditions and cannot be compared to other sites as being more or less "advanced".

Watson Brake

An example of this is the discovery in the 1980s of a site known as Watson Brake. Prior to this discovery, Poverty Point was believed to be the oldest mound site in North America, with archaeologists tracing cultural advances back to BC. 1700 BC. However, the Watson Brake dates back to c. 3500 BC and its discovery opened up a whole new landscape of mound architecture, pushing it further than previously understood. Native Americans have lived on this continent for thousands of years, possibly as early as 40-50,000 years ago, and during that time they developed distinct cultures that were ultimately reflected in monumental architectural projects. As we all know, definitions of "development" or "progress" are often subject to personal interpretation. Prior to the discovery of Watson Brake, Poverty Point's "progress" was considered certain.

Artifacts found on mounds across the United States indicate that a common purpose in building mounds was to concentrate spiritual energy in a central location.

Watson Brake consists of 11 mounds connected by ridges built by a hunter-gatherer society that established permanent roots and elevated the site in what is today northeastern Louisiana. The purpose of the mounds and ridges is unknown, as they were not used for burials, religious ceremonies, or dwellings. Saunders comments:

Mounds exhibit a variety of forms, but the most common are cones, domes, platforms, and effigy mounds. Some mounds were built in one episode, while others had multiple stages of construction. Conical mounds tend to be older than platform mounds, but structures on platform mounds are more common. Contrary to popular belief, not all mounds contain human burials or were built as high-water shelters. In fact, the earliest mound builders constructed their earthworks in locations where flooding did not occur. There is often no single purpose for building mounds other than the act itself. It is reasonable to conclude that constructing earthworks is a joint endeavor involving planning, engineering and organizing labor. (1)

This paradigm is evident at Watson Brake, where the mounds appear to have been built for themselves. Even so, it is possible that the site was designed and constructed for ceremonial purposes that have yet to be revealed. Like many Native American mound sites, the site has only been partially excavated. Mounds at other sites, and sometimes even the entire site itself (such as the Pinson mound), were used in ceremonial, religious rituals honoring gods, spirits, and ancestors of the people.

Native American Religions

Native American spiritual beliefs take the form of animism—the belief that all living things are imbued with spirit and interconnected—in indigenous communities across the United States. Artifacts found on the mound indicate that a common purpose in the mound's construction was to concentrate spiritual energy in a central location. In Moundville, for example, the residences of the elite were built on mounds facing the central mound of the square, which itself was in an astronomical position and seemed to commemorate earth, air, fire, and water. Scholar James Wilson comments:

The single most common thread running through all levels of East Coast society and all aspects of Indian life is the pervasive belief in "power." Although—with few exceptions—[the chiefs] were not shamans themselves, they shared a vision of a world shaped and permeated by powerful spiritual forces…, there was no clear distinction between “sacred” and “secular” boundaries...[their world is] a series of bilateral, reciprocal relationships: between men and women; between families, between humans and the divine realm. Contact and movement between these different realms must be mediated through rituals and exchanges of gifts, acknowledging each party's respective positions and committing to fulfill their obligations. (53)

These rituals were performed at sacred sites - where powerful spiritual energies could be identified - which is believed to point to where and how the mounds were built. It has been suggested that the energy of a location could be concentrated by the mounds, allowing interaction between the shaman and the spirit world to bring greater benefit to the community. This pattern of purpose and design appears to have guided the creation of the Poverty Point Memorial Mound, just like any other mound site.

Poverty Point Memorial Cenota

The concentric ridges of the Poverty Point Memorial Cenotaph were all once platform mounds, with houses on top, facing the square and Ceremony of Mound C site. Thus, the energy of the house was directed to the central square where rituals and games were performed and the city might have been designed in this way as a reciprocal architectural engagement with the spiritual world, in that the energy generated in the square would be directed to the home. Other mounds may have been placed to contain these energies within a kind of square shape. Behind the concentric ridges separated by ravines is Mound A, the highest mound, to the north is Mound B, to the south is Mound E, and in front of the southeastern edge of the ridge near the square is Mound D. The sixth mound, Mound F, was built later than the others and is located northeast of the ridge.

Mound A was originally thought to have been built in the shape of a giant bird, and if so, it was likely a totem animal for humans. The mound was quickly constructed in less than three months and may have served as a central power point for rituals prior to the construction of Mound C. It is also possible that the two mounds were used in conjunction with each other, or that, as at Cahokia, Mound A was reserved for private ceremonies out of public view, while Mound C was used for public celebrations.

Mounds vary in width and height throughout the site, while ridges are thought to have once been of uniform height. Today, the ridges range from less than a foot to six feet and are damaged by agricultural use.

Dimensions of the mounds are:

Mound A: 72 ft (22 m) high, base 705x660 ft (215x200 m)

Mound B: 21 ft (6.5 m) high, Base 180 ft (55 m)

Mound C: 6.5 ft (2 m) high, base 260 ft (80 m) long

Mound D: 4 ft (1.2 m) ) high, base 100 ft (30 m)

Mound E: 13 ft (4 m) high, base 360x295 ft (110x90 m)

Mound F: 5 ft ( 1.5 m) high, base 80X100 ft (24x30 m)

Two other mounds located near the site - Jackson Mound and Motley Mound - are damaged. Jackson Mound was vandalized by a landowner who did not want his property to become an archaeological site.

Poverty Point was built in stages over several generations, and unlike the people of Watson Brake, the residents of Poverty Point engaged in long-distance trade that supplied them with materials such as stone and copper that were not available locally. Artifacts such as stone slugs and various copper artifacts were made from materials imported from areas such as the Tennessee Valley and the Great Lakes region of modern New York.

Residents produced their goods on-site from the raw materials they received in trade, and parts of the C-shaped ridge were dedicated to the manufacture of various ceramics, tools, and weapons. As mentioned previously, the C-shaped ridges are all aligned with the central plaza, which was originally the venue for public gatherings, religious ceremonies and sporting events. Scholar Elodie Pritchartt writes:

The centerpiece of the site is a square covering approximately 37 acres, believed to have been used for rituals, rituals, dances, games and other activities. On the west side of the square, archaeologists discovered several deep holes of varying sizes arranged in a circular pattern; they believe these holes had long poles that may have served as calendar markers. (3)

The archaeologists are likely correct, as solar calendars matching the Poverty Point hole pattern have been found at other mound sites, notably Cahokia. There is a lack of further evidence that a calendar like the Woodhenge at Cahokia has 48 columns around a central column, (wwW.Lishixinzhi.Com) This is thought to be due to later European immigrants and American farmers' use of the land for the Poverty Point Memorial Cenotaph Extensive agricultural use was carried out, which is also thought to be evidence of the scarcity of land for dwellings on the ridge.

The city flourished in 1100 BC, but the population appears to have declined thereafter and the city was abandoned before 1100 BC. 500 BC. No one knows why people left the Poverty Point Memorial Cairn, like why others left many sites across the continent, but it is thought that climate change, affecting migration patterns, and flooding may have contributed to the problems people were already experiencing, overpopulation. Probably one of the main challenges. Since people make their living by hunting, fishing and gathering food plants, climate change and migration are likely to be major factors prompting people to relocate.

Discovery and Excavation

American businessman Jacob Walter stumbled upon the site in the 1830s while searching for lead deposits in the area, and later another culture The site was reoccupied. Walter considered the site to be an "Indian town" and noted the many artifacts and Mound A scattered about, but since exploration of the Mound site was not his primary focus, he moved on.

In 1843, Phillip Guier of Kentucky purchased the land as a farm and moved there with his wife, Sarah (he is buried in Mound D, also known as Sarah's Mound). The plantation was known as the Poverty Point Memorial Mound in 1851, possibly named after a site near Guier's home in Kentucky. Guier was also uninterested in the site as a former Native American city, and when he plowed the fields and planted crops, he considered the ridges nothing more than small hills. Walter's report did not come to public attention until after it was first published in 1873, by which time the land had been extensively farmed for decades.

It was not until the early 20th century that scholars and archaeologists became interested in the site, and in 1913 CB Moore arrived and began excavations. Moore, a Harvard graduate and amateur archaeologist, financed his expedition with money his family made in the paper industry. He was particularly interested in Native American mound sites, visiting some of them and spearheading efforts to draw attention to sites such as Moundville and Poverty Point. Moore and his followers failed to appreciate the scope and complexity of the site—and for good reason—because it could only be fully understood from a bird's-eye view that was beyond their reach.

Pritchart writes:

While the site's mounds and artifacts were well known, it was not until 1953, when a series of photographs from 20 years ago was discovered that an important The treasure lies there. The man-made structure is so large that it cannot be identified from the ground and reveals evidence of a highly developed ancient American culture. (1)

Subsequent attention to the site led to its declaration as a National Monument in 1960 and a National Historic Landmark in 1962. By 1972, the state of Louisiana purchased 400 acres of the land and opened it to the public as a park with an interpretive museum and walking trails. Interest in the site has only grown since then, and in 2014 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Conclusion

The Poverty Point Memorial Mound continues to fascinate and draw people from around the world to learn more about the Native American culture that founded it. The park is one of the region's most popular tourist attractions for a number of reasons, but the site's historical importance is a major factor. Pritchart noted:

Before discovery, the Middle East was considered the cradle of civilization. But at about the same time that Egypt was building the pyramids, people in the New World were building cities, establishing trade routes spanning thousands of miles, and creating a complex society in the New World era before agriculture. Hunter-gatherers, previously considered by archaeologists and anthropologists to not have social structures complex enough to carry out monumental projects, are leaving their mark on history in spectacular fashion. (1)

Although the so-called "Middle East" is still considered the cradle of civilization, it is now recognized that Native Americans were creating their own civilization in the Americas. Today, park visitors can experience their feats of engineering and urban planning firsthand by accessing the mounds, ridges, and plazas, as well as the many artifacts on display in the museum. Despite the current Covid-19 restrictions, Poverty Point Memorial Cairn hopes to be fully open again in the near future to provide the same experience to even more visitors in the years to come.