Oldest human-made structure in the Americas is older than the Egyptian pyramids

[Judi Lynn]

Last edited Sat Aug 27, 2022, 01:16 PM - Edit history (1)

By JoAnna Wendel published about 13 hours ago

The grass-covered mounds represent 11,000 years of human history.



Students pictured walking past two large grassy mounds on the LSU campus
The LSU Mounds can be found at the north end of Louisiana State University's campus. (Image credit: LSU)

To find the oldest known human-made structures in the Americas, you don't need to hike into the wilderness or paddle down a raging river — all you need to do is visit Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

At the north end of Louisiana State University's (LSU) campus sit two grassy mounds, rising in a gentle slope to a height of about 20 feet (6 meters). The mounds are just two of more than 800 similar human-made mounds in Louisiana, built by Indigenous Americans. Although researchers knew they were old, a new study has determined just how old these ancient structures are.

The grassy surface hides layers of ancient clay, dirt and ash. And researchers recently found that the oldest mound is 11,000 years old, making it the oldest human-made structure discovered in either North or South America.

"There's nothing known that is man-made and this old still in existence today in the Americas, except the mounds," study first author Brooks Ellwood, emeritus professor of geology and at LSU, said in a university statement(opens in new tab). The research was published in the June issue of Yale University's American Journal of Science(opens in new tab).

More:
https://www.livescience.com/oldest-human-made-structure-americas