WKH 6RXWKHDVW WKH DFFXPXODWLRQV RI VKHOOV LQ WKHVH DUHDV ZHUH OHVV D WHVWDPHQW WR WKH $UFKDLF GLHW WKDQ GHOLEHUDWH FRQVWUXFWLRQV ³6KHOOV FRXOG KDYH DFFXPXODWHG DQ\ZKHUH DORQJ WKRXVDQGV RI PLOHV RI ULYHUEDQN EXW WKH\ GLGQ¶W´ VD\V $SSDODFKLDQ 6WDWH 8QLYHUVLW\ DQWKURSRORJLVW &KHU\O &ODDVVHQ ZKR KDV VWXGLHG 58 VXFK VLWHV 6KH VXJJHVWV WKDW VKHOO PRXQGV¶ JHRJUDSKLFDO GLVWULEXWLRQ LQGLFDWHV WKDW $UFKDLF SHRSOH ZHUH YHU\ VHOHFWLYH DERXW ZKHUH WKH\ EXLOW WKHP 0RVW RFFXU LQ FOXVWHUV PLGZD\ XS WKH 2KLR 5LYHU DQG DOO DUH IRXQG DORQJ ULYHUV WKDW GUDLQ LQWR WKH 2KLR $QG D QXPEHU RI WKH VKHOO DFFXPXODWLRQV DUH IRXQG RQ EOXɱ WRSV QRW DORQJ ULYHUEDQNV ZKHUH WKH VKHOOV PLJKW KDYH EHHQ OHIW LI WKH\ ZHUH VLPSO\ UHIXVH $UFKDHRORJLVWV H[FDYDWLQJ WKH An aerial view of Poverty Point shows Mound A (top of photo) and the six concentric C-shaped ridges that are at the center of a site that extends for some 345 acres. VKHOO KHDSV LQ WKH HDUO\ DQG PLGĥWZHQWLHWK FHQWXU\ IRXQG WKRXĥ VDQGV RI EXULDOV VRPH ZLWK UHPDLQV VKRZLQJ VLJQV RI YLROHQW GHDWK EXW OLWWOH HYLGHQFH RI SHUPDQHQW KDELWDWLRQ VXFK DV SRWWHU\ RU GRPHVWLF WRROV ³7KHVH ZHUH PRUWXDU\ SODFHV IRU JHRJUDSKLFDOO\ ZLGHVSUHDG JURXSV ZKR IRUDJHG LQ WKH UHJLRQ DQG SHUKDSV HOVHZKHUH´ VD\V &ODDVVHQ $QFLHQW SHRSOH SUREĥ DEO\ FRQVLGHUHG VKHOOV D V\PERO RI UHQHZDO LQ SDUW EHFDXVH WKH\ RɱHU SURWHFWLRQ DJDLQVW WKH DFLGLW\ RI VRLOV DQG KHOS SUHVHUYH EXULHG ERQHV /LNH WKH PRXQGV H[FDYDWHG LQ WKH 6RXWKHDVW WKHVH VLWHV LQ WKH 2KLR 5LYHU 9DOOH\ ZRXOG KDYH EHHQ SODFHV ZKHUH GLɱHUHQW SHRSOHV JDWKHUHG WR KROG UHQHZDO ULWHV GXULQJ ZKLFK WKH\ H[FKDQJHG JRRGV DQG KHOG JUDQG IHDVWV P ERHAPS NOWHERE IN 1RUWK $PHULFD ZHUH WKH UHQHZDO ULWHV DQG IHDVWV RI WKH $UFKDLF SHULRG KHOG RQ VXFK D JUDQG VFDOH DV WKH\ ZHUH DW QRUWKHDVW /RXLVLDQD¶V 3RYHUW\ 3RLQW $IWHU WKH VLWH ZDV ¿UVW H[SORUHG LQ WKH 1830s, scholars LQVLVWHG WKH H[WHQVLYH HDUWKHQ PRXQGV FRXOG RQO\ KDYH EHHQ EXLOW E\ DQ DGYDQFHG DQFLHQW 0HVRDPHULFDQ FXOWXUH VXFK DV WKH 2OPHF $V UHFHQWO\ DV WKH 1990V DUFKDHRORJLVWV GLVFRXQWHG WKH QRWLRQ WKDW DQ\ HDUWKHQ PRXQGV LQ 1RUWK $PHULFD KDG EHHQ EXLOW E\ $UFKDLF SHRSOH 7RGD\ WKHUH LV QR GRXEW $W OHDVW D KDOI GR]HQ $UFKDLF VLWHV LQ WKH /RZHU 0LVVLVVLSSL 5LYHU 9DOOH\ IHDWXUH PRXQGV VRPH RI ZKLFK OLNH WKRVH DW :DWVRQ %UDNH DUH RULHQWHG DORQJ ZKDW DSSHDU WR EH DVWURQRPLFDO DOLJQPHQWV 0DQ\ RI WKHVH VHHP WR KDYH EHHQ EXLOW XVLQJ D VWDQGDUG PHDVXUHPHQW RI VL[ IHHW RU URXJKO\ WKH VSDQ RI D SHUVRQ¶V RXWVWUHWFKHG DUPV 5DGLRFDUERQ GDWLQJ RI FKDUFRDO IURP 3RYHUW\ 3RLQW KDV VKRZQ WKDW LWV PRXQGV ZHUH LQGHHG EXLOW DQG LQKDELWHG E\ 1RUWK $PHULFDQ KXQWHUĥJDWKHUHUV EHJLQQLQJ DURXQG 3,500 \HDUV DJR $QG HDFK QHZ GLVFRYHU\ DERXW WKH VLWH DQG WKH SHRSOH ZKR EXLOW LW UHLQIRUFHV WKDW WKH\ ZHUH QRW WKH VLPSOH KXQWHUĥJDWKHUHUV SRUWUD\HG LQ WUDGLWLRQDO DFDGHPLF QDUUDWLYHV RI WKH $UFKDLF 7KH HDUWKZRUNV WKHPVHOYHV D FRPSOH[ RI PRXQGV DQG VL[ QHVWHG &ĥVKDSHG ULGJHV FRYHU D WHUUDFH RYHUORRNLQJ WKH 0LVĥ VLVVLSSL 5LYHU ÀRRGSODLQ 7KH ODUJHVW PRXQG DW WKH VLWH NQRZQ DV 0RXQG $ LV WKH VHFRQGĥODUJHVW HDUWKZRUN HYHU FRQVWUXFWHG Distinctive decorated balls, known as Poverty Point Objects, were manufactured from fired fine-grained silts in great numbers at Poverty Point. They are found at sites throughout the southeastern United States. 52 52 ARCHAEOLOGY * July/August 2021 ARCHAEOL