Multi-method geoarchaeological analyses demonstrates exceptionally rapid construction of Ridge West 3 at Poverty Point

ABSTRACT

This report presents results of re-excavation and reanalysis of unit 5276N 4790E, located on Ridge West 3 (RW3) at the Poverty Point site. Jon Gibson excavated this unit and others in 1991 and argued that RW3 was constructed rapidly. We test the fast construction hypothesis by applying new methods (micromorphology, magnetic susceptibility, sequential loss-on-ignition) and by obtaining new radiocarbon dates. Before construction, the ground surface beneath RW3 was cleared and occupied. Preconstruction deposits are composed of anthropogenically enriched sediments. RW3 was constructed in layers of mixed heterogeneous natural and anthropogenically enriched sediments. The surfaces of these layers were used briefly during construction. The goal of the builders was to quickly raise the ridge to its full height. Magnetic susceptibility measurements and artifact density data show that the top of the constructed ridge is buried 10 to 30 cm below the modern surface. The construction of this section of RW3 was exceptionally rapid. The ridge was built after 3355–3210 cal BP and was under construction by at least 3450–2975 cal BP. Analysis of existing excavations offers great opportunity for pursuing vital research questions while having a limited effect on the integrity of archaeological deposits at Poverty Point.

KEYWORDS:

• Poverty Point site
• micromorphology
• magnetic susceptibility
• sequential loss-on-ignition
• earthworks
• geoarchaeology

Acknowledgments

This work was conducted under the auspices of a Cultural Resources Investigation permit from the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism, Office of Cultural Development, Division of Archaeology. This research could not have been accomplished without the assistance of Dr. Charles R. McGimsey, state archaeologist and especially Dr. Diana Greenlee, Poverty Point Station archaeologist. Our thanks go to the staff at the Poverty Point World Heritage Site for their help with the fieldwork. We are indebted to Diana Greenlee, Jon Gibson, Jake Lulewicz, Grace Ward, Matthew Sanger, and an anonymous reviewer for their comments on the text.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Field notes, artifacts, and sediment samples are curated with the Poverty Point Station Archaeology Program, Pioneer, Louisiana.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this research came from the Edward S. and Tedi Macias Fund, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Notes on contributors

Tristram R. Kidder

Tristram R. Kidder is the Edward S. and Tedi Macias Professor, Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis. He has conducted field work in the Mississippi Valley as well as China and Central Asia. His research interests include geoarchaeology, environmental archaeology, hunter-gathers, and the Archaic and Early Woodland periods in the southeastern United States.

Su Kai

Su Kai is a graduate student in the Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis. He has conducted archaeological fieldwork in China and at Cahokia. His research interests include geoarchaeology, micromorphology, environmental archaeology, and the archaeology of prehistoric China.

Edward R. Henry

Edward R. Henry is an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology and Geography, Colorado State University. He has conducted research in Central Asia and Mexico but his primary focus is on Middle Woodland societies across eastern North America. His research interests include archaeological geophysics and remote sensing, geoarchaeology, and chronological modeling applied to the study of small-scale societies.

Seth B. Grooms

Seth B. Grooms is a graduate student in the Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis. He has conducted archaeological fieldwork in the Plains and the southeastern United States. His research interests include geoarchaeology, the Archaic period of the southeastern United States, and Native beliefs and practices concerning mound building and ritual.

Kelly Ervin

Kelly Ervin is a cultural resource specialist with the US Department of Agriculture, Natural Conservation Service, Hollister, California. She has done fieldwork in the southeastern United States and California. Her research interests include GIS, geoarchaeology, and archaeological site conservation.