Poverty Point is still a bit of a mystery, but new clues are constantly being discovered. In its heyday, it was a massive 72 ft.-tall mound, built by hand centuries ago. Today you can visit the site and walk around the 2.6-mile trail, learning all about this amazing piece of Louisiana history.

Poverty Point was built between 1650 and 1100 B.C. The site is more than 400 acres, consisting of five mounds and six semi-circular ridges.

Wikipedia It’s located in the northeast part of the state, in Pioneer, Louisiana.

The original inhabitants of Poverty Point left no written records of their day-to-day lives.

Poverty Point World Heritage Site/Facebook Only relics, figurines, and weapons that archaeologists are constantly unearthing.

While we still don’t know exactly why Poverty Point was originally built, archaeologists are constantly finding new clues.

Wikipedia Millions of artifacts have been found at the site, all leading to speculation that Poverty Point was an ancient residential, trade, and ceremonial center.

Because of its close proximity to Bayou Macon, its believed that the site was specifically built around the bayou for trading with others, as well as fishing.

Wikipedia Hundreds of fish bones have been unearthed, so we know they relied on the bayou for their day-to-day lives. Rocks and minerals found at the site can be traced to places like Iowa and even the Appalachians.

Around 1100 B.C., Poverty Point was abandoned.

kniemla/Flickr Another native group seems to have occupied the area around 700 A.D., but only for a brief period. No one knows why it was originally abandoned, and it remained fairly unoccupied until Europeans arrived in the 1800s.

The site has a 2.6 mile hiking trail that will lead you around the mounds.

Wikipedia It’s simply breathtaking when you think about how much history you’re walking on.

Poverty Point was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962. In 2014, it became a World Heritage Site, joining the ranks of other historical sites like Stonehenge, The Great Wall of China, and the Pyramids of Giza.

Wikipedia

It’s located in the northeast part of the state, in Pioneer, Louisiana.

Poverty Point World Heritage Site/Facebook

Only relics, figurines, and weapons that archaeologists are constantly unearthing.

Millions of artifacts have been found at the site, all leading to speculation that Poverty Point was an ancient residential, trade, and ceremonial center.

Hundreds of fish bones have been unearthed, so we know they relied on the bayou for their day-to-day lives. Rocks and minerals found at the site can be traced to places like Iowa and even the Appalachians.

kniemla/Flickr

Another native group seems to have occupied the area around 700 A.D., but only for a brief period. No one knows why it was originally abandoned, and it remained fairly unoccupied until Europeans arrived in the 1800s.

It’s simply breathtaking when you think about how much history you’re walking on.

Have you ever been to Poverty Point? Let us know in the comments below.

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