From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia LSU Campus Mounds
LSU Campus Mounds
LSU Campus Mounds point purposes,"[2] rather than for burial purposes.[3] The
20 ft tall mounds are thought to be more than 5,000 years
U.S. National Register of Historic Places old.[3][4] That date would make them part of the oldest
mound system in North America, Mesoamerica or South
America and also predate them to the building of the
Great Pyramids.[5]
Location and history
The mounds overlook the floodplain of the Mississippi
River.[6] The northern mound consists of hard clay dirt;
the southern mound is more porous.[2] They were first
dated in 1982. Due to their location in a heavily trafficked
area of campus, the mounds gradually began to show
LSU Campus Mound signs of degradation as well as natural erosion. In order
to alleviate the issue, the university installed a sidewalk
between the mounds in 1985. In addition, a low brick wall
was placed around the mounds in order to prevent ve-
hicles from dangerously crossing the mounds. Unfortu-
nately, erosion continued to take its toll until a restora-
tion project was initiated in 1996. Using river silt, the LSU
Facility Services patched damage on both mounds and
seeded a hybrid Bermuda grass to prevent future prob-
lems.[7] In 2009, LSU professor Brooks Ellwood took core
samples that revealed a layer of charcoal, possibly from a
pit barbecue or a cremation.[2] Since 1999 they are listed
on the National Register of Historic Places.[8]
An archaeological excavation of the northern mound
is scheduled for spring of 2011.[9]
Location: Jct. of Dalrymple Dr. and Fieldhouse Dr. on
LSU campus, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Folklore
Different stories about the origin of the mounds have cir-
Coordinates: 30°24′54″N 91°10′53″W / 30.415°N
91.18139°W / 30.415; -91.18139Coordinates: culated. One widespread idea was that the mounds were
30°24′54″N 91°10′53″W / 30.415°N made of dirt dug up for the Huey P. Long pool on the LSU
91.18139°W / 30.415; -91.18139 campus.[2] While archeologists do not believe they were
burial mounds, another myth holds that the mounds are
Area: 2 acres (0.81 ha)
haunted by the ghosts of the dead.[10]
Architectural style: Earthen mounds
Governing body: State Save the Mounds
NRHP Reference#: 99000236 On September 30, 2010, LSU announced the "Save the
[1]
Mounds" campaign to preserve the mounds. Officials
Added to NRHP: March 01, 1999 from the school stated that the mounds had suffered in-
ternal structural damage that would lead to their eventu-
The LSU Indian Mounds are two Native American al collapse.[9] While they were formerly used for tailgate
mounds, of the Archaic Period, on the campus of parties, in 2010 they began to be fenced off during LSU’s
Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. home football games to prevent them from being dam-
They are part of a larger, statewide system of mounds. aged,[11] but the fencing was quickly torn down by tail-
They were probably used for "ceremonial and marking gaters.[12]
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia LSU Campus Mounds
See also 2011. .
• Mississippi Valley: Culture, phase, and chronological [8] Blitzer, Carol Ann (10 December 2010). "LSU
periods table Mounds have storied past". The Advocate.
http://www.2theadvocate.com/features/
References 111648809.html?showAll=y&c=y. Retrieved 14
January 2011.
[1] "National Register Information System". National [9] ^ Berthelot, Ashley. "Don’t Tread on Me: University
Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Takes Steps to Preserve LSU Mounds". Louisiana
2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/ State University. http://www.lsu.edu/
docs/All_Data.html. departments/gold/2010/09/mounds.shtml.
[2] ^ Blum, Jordan (16 April 2009). "Archaeologists test Retrieved 14 January 2011.
‘charcoal horizon’ at LSU". The Advocate. [10] Tucker, Elizabeth (2007). Haunted halls: ghostlore of
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/ American college campuses. UP of Mississippi. p. 171.
43081532.html?showAll=y&c=y. Retrieved 14 ISBN 9781578069958. http://books.google.com/
January 2011. books?id=GxCG74jImr8C&pg=PA171.
[3] ^ Sternberg, Mary Ann (2001). Along the river road: [11] "LSU Indian mounds to be fenced off again on
past and present on Louisiana’s historic byway. Baton football game days". Associated Press. 1 October
Rouge: LSU Press. p. 208. ISBN 9780807127315. 2010. http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2010/
http://books.google.com/ 10/indian_mounds_to_be_fenced_aga.html.
books?id=wdCENSzZ95wC&pg=PA208. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
[4] LSU soil samples show Indian mounds 5,000 years [12] "LSU tailgaters win over preservation at Indian
old mounds". The Advocate. 28 September 2010.
[5] "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2010/09/
web}}". http://www.lsu.edu/visitors/ lsu_tailgaters_win_over_preser.html. Retrieved 14
quickfacts.shtml. Retrieved 24 March 2011. January 2011.
[6] Gleason, David K. (1991). Baton Rouge: Photographs
and Text. LSU Press. p. 52. ISBN 9780807117156.
http://books.google.com/
External links
books?id=ACD3iD_XO8AC&pg=PA52. • "Indian Mounds--Louisiana", at Indian Burial and
[7] "Indian Mounds--Louisiana." Indian Burial and Sacred Grounds Watch
Sacred Grounds Watch Home Page. Web. 02 Mar. • LSU Indian Mounds by LSU Department of
Geography and Anthropology
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=LSU_Campus_Mounds&oldid=463347047"
Categories:
• Geography of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Mounds in the United States
• Native American history of Louisiana
• Archaeological sites in Louisiana
• Landmarks in Louisiana
• National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana by parish
• Native American archeology
• History of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Louisiana State University
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