Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point
Rank: UNESCO
Wonder Type: Cultural
Country: United States of America
Best of: Archaeological Site
Description:
Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point owes its name to a 19th-century plantation close to the site, which is in the Lower Mississippi Valley on a slightly elevated and narrow landform. The complex comprises five mounds, six concentric semi-elliptical ridges separated by shallow depressions and a central plaza. It was created and used for residential and ceremonial purposes by a society of hunter fisher-gatherers between 3700 and 3100 BP. It is a remarkable achievement in earthen construction in North America that was unsurpassed for at least 2,000 years. [More Details]
This article uses material from UNESCO World Heritage List article "Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike 3.0 IGO License.