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LSU Campus Mounds

The LSU Campus Mounds, located at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, are pre-Columbian Native American structures of two cone-shaped mounds, each approximately 5m in height and 45m in diameter The Crests of Mound A (northern) and Mound B (southern) are 56m apart. At the time of the mound building, the structures bordered the Mississippi River Valley Estuary and were constructed using sediments from the floodplain.

The mounds are some of the oldest of the over 800 known in Louisiana.

Archaeological Excavations

The two indigenous mound structures were isolated on campus in 1927 with the intention of preservation, thus avoiding the destruction and human disturbances often imposed on similar indigenous mounds across the southeastern United States. Before 2022, analysis of the mounds' sediments suggested they were constructed with little interruption, or all at once, 3,000 to 7,000 years ago. Since the release of the widely discussed article,”The LSU Campus Mounds, with Construction Beginning 11,000 BP, Are the Oldest Known Extant Man-Made Structures in the Americas," a contemporary theory argues that the mounds were built in multiple stages, with "Radiocarbon dating of the two LSU Campus Mounds indicat[ing] that the construction of one, Mound B, began at ~11,000 BP, making Mound B the oldest known and intact man-made structure in the Americas." The construction of Mound A, on the other hand, began some 2000 years later.This recent theory is contentious among experts, as evidence suggests that nearly identical mounds found in Louisiana, such as the Poverty Point Mounds, were erected between 3,000 and 7,000 years ago. Information on the mounds has come predominantly from several soil cores extracted by Robert Neuman in 1982, Jeffrey Homburg, in 1992, and an interdisciplinary group led by Rob Mann in 2009.

Construction and Use

Though the use, culture, and date of formation are debated, evidence suggests the mounds were built partly by carrying large quantities of dry reed and cane plants onto a flat sediment surface, where they were piled and ignited. The fires produced during mound construction were exceptionally hot, burning almost everything except refractory materials, including high concentrations of phytoliths. These ceremonial or cremation fires left behind distinctive ash layers containing microscopic fragments of burned bone, likely from large mammals such as horses, dogs, deer, and possibly humans. Additionally, the location of the mounds may be of astrological importance. The crests of the mounds exhibit a "crest-to-crest alignment approximately 8° east of north, which may have been intentionally aligned with celestial phenomena such as the rising of the bright red star Arcturus."

Ritual Practices and Social Integration

The lack of artifacts found at the site leads most experts to believe that these structures were ceremonial and likely used for (possibly seasonal) rituals. Recent studies have shown that ritual practices played a significant role in mobilizing labor and resources for monumental construction projects in pre-Columbian North America. The research conducted by Ortmann and Kidder suggests that these rituals served as powerful mechanisms for social integration and collective motivation, making it easier for individuals to participate willingly in labor efforts without the need for institutionalized coercion.

The lack of evidence of permanent leadership structures at sites like the LSU Campus Mounds raises questions about the nature of political power and organization in pre-Columbian Native American societies, leading some archaeologists to argue that the mounds serve as evidence that authority was granted through collective decision-making rather than individual chiefs, alluding to a partially nomadic and egalitarian society..

Preservation and Modern Use

Over the years, the university has implemented various measures to safeguard the mounds from deterioration and damage. A tragic incident in the early 1980s, where a student lounging on the mounds was killed in a motor vehicle accident, prompted increased preservation efforts such as the installation of vehicle barriers, signage, and temporary fencing. In 1996, the college restored the mounds by planting grass and using silt from the Mississippi River to fill in the damage caused by erosion. More recently, since 2010, the college has taken steps to put an end to the long-standing practice of tailgating on the historic mounds, fencing them off on game days to discourage public access and prevent further wear and tear. However, despite these precautions, years of activity on the mounds have left visible signs of deformation, and concerns persist about erosion, tree growth, and vibrations from nearby traffic.

Collaborative Initiatives for Preservation

LSU's Student Government and the Committee to Preserve the LSU Campus Mounds embarked on a joint initiative to update signage around the mounds in late 2023. With funding from both groups, new signage was installed to reflect the officially recognized name of the site as "LSU Campus Mounds," as designated in the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally, a newly formed committee in 2020 began discussing a comprehensive master plan for protecting and preserving the mounds.