The Causeway on Ridge 6 Southwest at Poverty Point National Monument
WALKING TOUR STOP 8
The Causeway
Stop 8 on the walking tour of the Poverty Point archaeological site is located on Ridge 6 (the outermost of the ridges) at a causeway built by the Poverty Point Indians that once spanned a wet area. The causeway allowed people to cut through the wetland instead of having to walk around it. It was created by digging dirt from another area and piling it high, one basketful at a time, along the designated causeway route.
The park map shows a lake at this location (see the Walking Tour Main Page for the map), but whatever was here thousands of years ago is long gone and trees now grow on the causeway. In truth, I couldn’t even tell if the area is wet anymore due to the forest. The built-up part of the causeway is still distinguishable from the lower areas on either side, but it is no longer possible to walk along it due to the trees. The causeway is believed to have connected the Poverty Point ridge area to an outlying area of the village.
Stop 9: Mound E | Stop 7: Surveying Monument | Walking Tour Main Page
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Last updated on November 8, 2022
