Poverty Point National Monument
National Historic Landmark

Poverty Point National Monument

Delhi, West Carroll County, Louisiana
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Site
Period
Pre Contact
Ref No.
66000382

About this property

Poverty Point State Historic Site/Poverty Point National Monument (French: Pointe de Pauvreté; 16 WC 5) is a prehistoric earthwork constructed by the Poverty Point culture, located in present-day northeastern Louisiana. Evidence of the Poverty Point culture extends throughout much of the Southeastern Woodlands of the Southern United States. The culture extended more than 100 miles (160 km) laterally across the Mississippi Delta and an even greater distance southward to the Gulf Coast, with related or satellite cultures found further afield. The Poverty Point site has been designated as a state historic site, U.S. National Monument, a U.S. National Historic Landmark, and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site is 15.5 miles (24.9 km) from the current flow of the Mississippi River, and is situated on the edge of Macon Ridge. The village of Epps developed in the historic period in West Carroll Parish, Louisiana. The Poverty Point site contains earthen ridges and mounds, built by indigenous people between 1700 and 1100 BCE during the Late Archaic period in North America. Archaeologists have proposed a variety of possible functions for the site, including as a settlement, a trading center, and/or a ceremonial religious complex. The 402-acre (163 ha) property now operated as the Poverty Point State Historic Site contains "the largest and most complex Late Archaic earthwork occupation and ceremonial site yet found in North America". Euroamericans described the site in the 19th century. Since the 1950s Poverty Point has been the focus of professional archaeological excavations. The earthworks are named after Poverty Point Plantation, a 19th-century slave plantation on the property.

Location

Delhi, West Carroll County, Louisiana
32.63551, -91.40428

Categories

PREHISTORIC
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Poverty Point National Monument

This page lists Poverty Point National Monument. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Miles-Hanna House
Civil War
13.3 mi
Downtown Delhi Historic District
Listed
13.4 mi
Delhi Municipal Baseball Park
Listed
13.6 mi
Bear Lake Club, Ltd. Clubhouse
Industrial
14.1 mi
Oak Grove Community House
Industrial
15.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Poverty Point National Monument listed on the National Register?

Poverty Point National Monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Poverty Point National Monument?

Poverty Point National Monument is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Poverty Point National Monument a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Poverty Point National Monument has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Poverty Point National Monument?

The period of significance for Poverty Point National Monument is recorded as the pre_contact era.

Can I research the history near Poverty Point National Monument?

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