Without written accounts of Louisiana's Indigenous peoples before European colonization, much of our knowledge of their history comes from archaeology. Fragments of tools, weapons, and vessels offer us glimpses of the historic lifeways of Indigenous Louisianians, from the Pre-Clovis culture in 11,500 BCE to the Mississippian, Caddo, and Plaquemine cultures that existed at the time of European contact. One of the most notable archaeological features of this region are mounds. There are over 700 mound sites in Louisiana alone, and even more when we account for the surrounding states. Mounds first appeared in the Middle Archaic period (around 6000 to 2000 BCE). LSU’s Campus Mounds are from this era, making them some of the oldest in Louisiana. These mounds were most likely used for ceremonial purposes, rather than for burials or as village sites. Other notable mound sites in Louisiana include Poverty Point, Marsden Mounds, and Marksville Mounds.
Subject Headings
America -- Antiquities.
Archaeology--Louisiana.
Indians of North America -- Louisiana -- Antiquities.
Indians of North America -- Southern States -- Antiquities.
Excavations (Archaeology) -- Louisiana.
Louisiana -- Antiquities
Material culture -- Louisiana.
Mississippian culture.
Mississippi River Valley -- Antiquities.
Mound-builders.
Mounds.
Poverty Point culture.
Southern States -- Antiquities.
Search Terms
Indian mounds
Louisiana archaeology