By his own account, Jon Gibson has been thinking about ancient mounds since 1956. Over some fifty years as a prominent Louisiana archaeologist, he has visited most of them and studied many. Only in the past couple of decades has the great antiquity of some of these ancient monuments been established beyond a doubt. They first appeared around 5500 B.C. and continued for some 4,300 years with some interruptions. Until fairly recently, these dates from the Middle Archaic were ridiculed by a large group of unbelievers. But Gibson and his associates persevered, and today the evidence is overwhelming.
This volume is a synthesis of the investigation of these early mounds, particularly Poverty Point and Watson Brake. It brings together all the most recent research in the region and presents a detailed overview of the Archaic mound period.
Gibson demonstrates that these ancient mounds are mainly successional monuments, not one-time constructions. They contain celestial alignments and creation myths in their complex architectural compositions. He illuminates the basic information with sophisticated theories explaining their meaning and use. Archaic Earthworks of the Lower Mississippi Valley is a major addition to the literature on these ancient monuments. It will undoubtedly be the go-to book on Archaic mounds for years to come.
