Louisiana has some of the most important sites in the United States. In
fact, one prehistoric archaeological site, Poverty Point in West Carroll
Parish, has been suggested for nomination to the World Heritage List.
This program, in which 45 nations participate, recognizes areas of outstanding
universal value to mankind.
I am proud to live in a state with such a rich archaeological heritage,
and I hope that it can be protected for future generations. However, no
one individual or group working alone can preserve Louisiana’s legacy.
Only through the concerted efforts of government, industry, business, and
individuals can this be accomplished. This volume suggests what you can
do to preserve Louisiana’s archaeological sites. I hope you enjoy this
booklet.
Sincerely,
Rob DeBlieux
ROBERT B. DEBLIEUX
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER
P. O. Box 44247 Baton Rouge, La. 70804 504-342-6682
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Illustrations for this booklet have been generously contributed by several people. Robert Neuman, Louisiana State University, provided photographs of Monk’s Mound ([cover]), a projectile point ([p. 1]), a vessel from the Clarence H. Webb Collection ([p. 2]), a shell midden ([p. 2]), and of excavation pits ([p. 15]). Debbie Woodiel, State Parks, gave permission to use an illustration from her thesis ([p. 5]). The American Museum of Natural History permitted reproduction of the Poverty Point site map ([p. 1]), and New Orleans East provided the illustration on [page 13]. All other photographs are from the files at the Division of Archaeology, and have been taken by staff archaeologists through the years.
ARCHAEOLOGY IN LOUISIANA
People lived in Louisiana thousands of years before the first Europeans sailed to the New World. Because of archaeology, the history of even these early Indians is now being described and understood. All people leave traces of their activities wherever they cook, build houses, hold religious ceremonies, make tools, or dump their trash. If these traces are undisturbed, archaeologists can use them to determine who left them, when they were left, and what activities were associated with them. These are a few of the things archaeologists have learned about Louisiana: