The Rings of Poverty Point, UNESCO World Heritage Site: A Geophysical Investigation.

Summary

The concentric ring features at the Poverty Point World Heritage site are monumental structures a kilometer and a half in diameter at their widest point. Though these impressive structures went unnoticed for many years after the identification of the area’s other archaeological resources, they are now recognized as a unique attribute of an already remarkable site. Here, we use multiple geophysical methods to attempt to characterize the construction of these features. Initially assumed to have been created in a single construction episode, we argue that these earthworks experienced several iterations before appearing in their current configuration, and what we see now is the most recent stage of a more dynamic process. We also use these methods to evaluate prior claims of other features present within, under, or on top of the rings to assess whether there is evidence of habitation on the rings.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20985