New book explores Poverty Point history

A new book is exploring some of the questions posed by Poverty Point World Heritage Site.

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,” published by LSU Press, delves into this 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.

Ellerbe is a fine art photographer whose work focuses primarily on northeastern Louisiana.

Greenlee is the station archaeologist at the Poverty Point World Heritage Site and an adjunct professor of archaeology in the School of Sciences at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.