The settlement of Poverty Point, occupied from about 1700 to 1100 BC and once the largest city in North America, stretches across 345 acres in northeastern Louisiana. The structural remains of this ancient site-its earthen mounds, semicircular ridges, and vacant plaza-intrigue visitors as a place of artistic inspiration as well as an archaeological puzzle. Poverty Point: Revealing the Forgotten City delves his enduring piece of Louisiana's cultural heritage through personal introspection and scientific exploration. With stunning black and white photography by Jenny Ellerbe and engrossing text by archaeologist Diana M. Greenlee, this imaginative and informative book explores in full Poverty Point's Late Archaic culture and its monumental achievements. Ellerbe's landscapes and commentary reflect the questions and mysteries inspired by her many visits to the site, and Greenlee delves into the most recent archaeological findings, explaining what past excavations have revealed about the work involved in creating its mounds and the lives of the people who built them. The conversation between artist and archaeologist also presents some of the still-unanswered questions about this place: What was the city's function in the ancient world? How did its people acquire their stone materials, some of which originated over a thousand miles from Poverty Point? Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2014, Poverty Point remains a historical treasure with many secrets still buried in its past.

"Gibson, the grand old man of Poverty Point archaeology, has presented his personal reflections on his and others' extensive work at this mysterious and awe-inspiring site. He recounts (in his equally mysterious Louisiana voice) the setting, meaning, and history of archaeological thought that surround the site."--Mike Russo, National Park Service Jon Gibson confronts the intriguing mystery of Poverty Point, the ruins of a large prehistoric Indian settlement that was home to one of the most fascinating ancient cultures in eastern North America.   The 3,500-year-old site in northeastern Louisiana is known for its large, elaborate earthworks--a series of concentric, crescent-shaped dirt rings and bird-shaped mounds. With its imposing 25-mile core, it is one of the largest archaic constructions on American soil. It's also one of the most puzzling--perplexing questions haunt Poverty Point, and archaeologists still speculate about life and culture at the site, its age, how it was created, and if it was at the forefront of an emerging complex society.   Gibson's engaging, well-illustrated account of Poverty Point brings to life one of the oldest earthworks of its size in the Western Hemisphere, the hub of a massive exchange network among native American peoples reaching a third of the way across the present-day United States. Gibson, the eminent authority on the site, boldly launches the first full-scale political, economic, and organizational analysis of Poverty Point and nearby affiliated sites. Writing in an informal style, he examines the period's architecture, construction, tools and appliances, economy, exchange, and ceremonies.