A preserved Indian mound in Pointe Coupee Parish is surrounded by pasture and covered with vegetation. April 1982 Baton Rouge, Louisiana...

David C. Treen Governor DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE, RECREATION AND TOURISM Mrs. Lawrence H. Fox Secretary ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND ANTIQUITIES COMMISSION Ex-Officio Members Appointed Members Mr. William Baker Mr. Fred Benton, Jr. Mr. Brian Duhe Dr. Lorraine Heartfield Mr. Robert W. Neuman Mrs. Lanier Simmons Dr. Clarence H. Webb This public document was published at an annual cost of $.30 per copy by Division of Administration, Administrative Services, P.O. Box 44095, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70804 to

Louisiana’s cultural heritage dates back to approximately 10,000 B.C. when Paleo-Indian hunters entered the region in search of Pleistocene big game. Since that time, many other groups have settled in the area. Each of these groups has left evidence of its presence in the archaeological record. The Anthropological Study series published by the Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism provides a readable account of various activities of these cultural groups. Nancy Hawkins, outreach co

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

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

Although an archaeologist can gain some information from artifacts that have been removed from a site, much more information can be gleaned through careful survey and excavation. During a survey, the archaeologist examines artifacts remaining on the ground and records large concentrations as sites. The archaeologist evaluates each site’s size and age, and determines how it contributes to an overall understanding of Louisiana’s past. No two sites exactly duplicate each other, but some are more un

Throughout history, the traces of people who lived before have been altered by those who followed. Even when Indians camped in places where their ancestors had camped, they destroyed a piece of the record of their past. In contrast with this age-old pattern of minor alterations, however, is the potentially devastating impact of modern-day technology. In Louisiana today, major types of land modification include energy exploration and development, timber cutting, agriculture, urban expansion, wate

Although countless sites have been destroyed in Louisiana, many other sites have been saved by concerned individuals, companies, and organizations. Our legislators have been interested enough in Louisiana’s heritage to draft laws that help protect sites. Without a permit, it is now illegal to dig into, alter, or take anything from a site on state or federal land. Recent legislation calls for strict fines or jail sentences for people collecting materials from federal lands. Our laws also help pro

Businesses and industries are most likely to deal with archaeological sites when they plan projects on publicly-owned lands or when projects require permits. Many developers are sensitive to the need for preservation of important sites and plan ahead for evaluation of the project’s impact on these. Businesses and industries whose projects will affect sites are proving to be creative in their responses. Sometimes, a minor change, like moving a road 25 feet to one side, may prevent a site from bei

People who have archaeological sites on their land have many ways of protecting the sites. A site covered by natural vegetation usually is camouflaged and has limited access. As long as the owner does not clear the land, disturbance to the site will be minimized. A site already in a cultivated field probably will not suffer significantly from continued plowing at the same depth. Although initial plowing altered artifact relationships in the plow zone, the materials beneath remain well protected.

Most archaeological sites are first discovered not by professional archaeologists, but by ordinary people who live or work near the sites. Usually these people do not know how to report a site to the proper authorities. If you find a site, you can help protect Louisiana’s heritage by letting archaeologists know about it. The Division of Archaeology has prepared a form especially for you to use, and one is in the center of this booklet. The first step in recording a site is plotting its location

No. 1 On the Tunica Trail by Jeffrey P. Brain No. 2 The Caddo Indians of Louisiana, second edition by Clarence H. Webb & Hiram F. Gregory No. 3 The Role of Salt in Eastern North American Prehistory by Ian Brown No. 4 El Nuevo Constante by Charles E. Pearson, et al. No. 5 Preserving Louisiana’s Legacy by Nancy W. Hawkins No. 6 Louisiana Prehistory by Robert W. Neuman & Nancy W. Hawkins No. 7 Poverty Point by Jon L. Gibson No. 8 Bailey’s Dam by Steven D. Smith and George J. Castill