The Louisiana Mounds

Do I dare to say it was cold here today knowing I left behind the land of sub-zero temperatures? Okay, I'll confess that my winter jacket is still packed away beneath other more useful things. Let's say this evening is chilly.

We spent most of our day inside, doing warm things like washing dishes, rearranging storage boxes, and vacuuming the floor.

Nevertheless we decided to go out for a walk in the late afternoon sunshine. There is always exploring to be done and pictures waiting to be taken!

We learned that this state park is the site of the "Marsden Mounds."

Louisiana has over 700 mound sites, built by prehistoric civilizations as much as 4000 years ago. The mounds here are about 3500 years old and were built in 3 separate phases, excavated by Harvard in the 1960's. Some of the mounds appear to have been residences, some burial sites, and some religious or ceremonial sites. And some sites, like this one, apparently served different purposes in different phases.

The "mounding" of the earth is not very obvious and I would not have known the mound was not natural to the land. Each of the little white markers in this picture is a sign at a different mound. The one on the left is the largest. It is an interesting feeling to wonder about the people who were once gathered at the very spot I was standing.

I am curious about those people and tomorrow we will drive a short way to Poverty Point Historical Site to see if I can learn more about them.

In the meantime, the sun was sinking low and making for some interesting contrasts with trees, water and sky.

And finally, the sunset I've been watching for since Oklahoma.

Now I am content to call it a day.

And tomorrow is a new day!