Poverty Point: A Meeting Place, Not a Center of Power Specialists from Washington University in St. Louis have revised the generally accepted views on the Poverty Point archaeological complex in Louisiana. Research published in the journal *Southeastern Archaeology* suggests that this 3500-year-old monument served as a site for temporary gatherings rather than the center of a hierarchical society. Previously, the extensive earthworks at the complex, which included the construction of concentric ridges and mounds involving the movement of about 140,000 truckloads of soil without the use of draft animals or wheeled transport, were interpreted as evidence of complex social organization and the presence of powerful leaders. However, anthropologist T.R. Kidder, along with colleagues Olivia Baumgartel and Seth Grum, proposed an alternative hypothesis. In their view, Poverty Point served as a location for periodic gatherings for thousands of people from egalitarian groups of hunter-gatherers. They came here to trade, engage in joint construction, and participate in ceremonies. The discovery of artifacts such as clay cooking balls, quartz from the Ozarks, talc from the Atlanta region, and copper ornaments from the Great Lakes area supports Poverty Point’s active trade links with distant regions of the eastern part of the continent. The absence of cemeteries, permanent dwellings, and signs of year-round economic activity indicates the temporary nature of the complex’s use. The researchers believe that the monumental structures of Poverty Point were erected as collective spiritual offerings in response to natural cataclysms. This helped the communities maintain a perceived world order, reports Planet Today.
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