National Parks of ChinaOverview
| Designation | UNESCO World Heritage (cultural, 2014) |
| Name | Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point |
| Country | United States of America |
| Nearby cities | Dallas, Houston, New Orleans |
| Nearby sites | Hot Springs National Park |
| Latitude, longitude | 32.64, -91.41 Google Maps |
About
Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014 as a cultural site.
Why it was inscribed
The World Heritage Committee found that it meets criterion (iii) of the ten selection criteria:
(iii) a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared.
Description (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point owes its name to a 19th-century plantation close to the site, which is in the Lower Mississippi Valley on a slightly elevated and narrow landform. The complex comprises five mounds, six concentric semi-elliptical ridges separated by shallow depressions and a central plaza. It was created and used for residential and ceremonial purposes by a society of hunter fisher-gatherers between 3700 and 3100 BP. It is a remarkable achievement in earthen construction in North America that was unsurpassed for at least 2,000 years.