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路易斯安那州內的印地安人:波弗蒂角(Poverty
Point)遺址
地方性遺產
為什麼有人要建造7哩長的土塚呢？
就路易斯安那州東北角的波弗蒂角一例而言，沒有人知道確切原因。在某些州內(如俄亥俄州)，美國原住民建造土塚來做為墓地。考古學家懷疑波弗蒂角的土塚是印地安人的住所，但他們無法證實。波弗蒂角地區的原住民文化可回溯至約4,000年前，而這些土塚則建於西元前1350至1800年間。
這六個巨大的半圓土塚以牛眼形狀排列，幾乎有四分之三英里寬。假如您將這六個土塚一個接一個的排列成一直線，則此直線可達7哩長。考古學家相信，由土塚圍成、面積達37英畝大的中央廣場也許是用來舉行宗教及其他公開儀式的場所。
雖然考古學家尚未在此處發現任何遠古居民的服飾，但他們已經找到了珠寶。而且珠寶的差異(由簡單到精巧)也顯示出社會地位在波弗蒂角社會中扮演了一個相當重要的角色。總體而言，波弗蒂角證明了遠古美國人已經具備高度發展的群體生活。但即使如此，這並不能幫忙解決這些神秘土塚到底是用來做什麼的謎團。您有什麼不同的想法嗎？
Why would anyone build mounds of earth 7 miles long?
In the case of Poverty Point, in northeastern Louisiana, no one knows for sure. In some states, like Ohio, Native American people built mounds as burial places. Archaeologists suspect that the mounds at Poverty Point served as sites for dwellings, but they are not certain. Native American culture in the Poverty Point area began almost 4,000 years ago, and the mounds were built between 1350 and 1800 B.C.
The mounds are six giant half-circles in the shape of a bull's-eye, almost three-fourths of a mile wide. If you straightened out the six mounds and laid them out end-to-end, they would stretch for 7 miles. Archaeologists believe the 37-acre central plaza formed by the mounds may have been used for religious and other public ceremonies.
Although archaeologists have not found any articles of clothing from these ancient people, they have found jewelry. The great variety of this jewelry, from simple to elaborate, indicates that social status was important in the Poverty Point community. Overall, Poverty Point presents evidence that ancient Americans lived in sophisticated communities. Even so, this does not help to solve the mystery of exactly what these mounds were. Do you have any other ideas?
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