ABSTRACT

The Poverty Point World Heritage Site (ca. 1700–1100 BC) is one of the world’s unique fisher-hunter-gatherer sites. Magnetic gradient surveys of ca. 25 ha together with magnetic susceptibility studies, coring, targeted excavations, and stratigraphic investigations have yielded important new discoveries about aspects of the construction history of the site’s monumental concentric ridges and massive plaza. Thirty-six timber circles with diameters ranging up to 62 m are located in and near the plaza. The closely spaced posts and circle clusters suggest extensive rebuilding. Ridge construction components have been identified through the presence of distinctive linear magnetic anomalies. The components provide evidence for ridge single and multistage construction, repairs, and possible deconstruction. The innermost two ridges are inferred to be the earliest, as they exhibit evidence for longer, more complex construction histories than the outer ridges. We now see that Poverty Point’s construction history is both more complex and more accessible than previously thought.

摘要

贫困点世界遗产地（约公元前 1700-1100 年）是世界上独一无二的渔猎采集地之一。大约的磁梯度调查。25 公顷的土地连同磁化率研究、取芯、有针对性的挖掘和地层调查，在该遗址巨大的同心山脊和大型广场的建造历史方面取得了重要的新发现。36 个直径达 62 m 的木圈位于广场内和广场附近。紧密间隔的柱子和圆形集群表明进行了广泛的重建。通过独特的线性磁异常的存在，已经确定了山脊构造组件。这些组件为山脊单级和多级建造、维修和可能的解构提供了证据。最里面的两个山脊被推断是最早的，因为它们展示了比外山脊更长、更复杂的建造历史的证据。我们现在看到贫困点的建设历史比以前想象的更复杂，更容易接近。