…archaeologists theorized that a mound-building society had to be supported by agriculture because, it was thought, hunting and gathering could not provide enough of a food surplus to support mound builders,…
BY REBECCA SAUNDERS
3500–2800 BCE
Watson Brake is among the oldest and best preserved Middle Archaic period (6000–2000 BCE) earthworks in the Southeast. The site was built by the Evans culture. The massive site contains eleven earthen mounds connected by ridges. The two curved ridges link groups of earthworks that are referred to as the north and south mounds. Together these features form a large enclosure measuring 984 x 656 feet. The site was occupied by fisher-hunter-gatherers who resided on the earthworks in all seasons of the year (although perhaps not year-round). Artifacts recovered provide information on fishing and hunting tools, cooking practices, foods consumed, and jewelry created at the site.
Louisiana
How far back?
2020 | Present
