Marksville Prehistoric Indian Site facts for kids
Artists conception of the site layout.
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 Location in Louisiana
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| Location | Marksville, Louisiana, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana,  USA |
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| Region | Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana |
| Coordinates | 31°7′29″N 92°2′52″W / 31.12472°N 92.04778°W |
| History | |
| Cultures | Marksville culture, Avoyel and Natchez peoples |
| Site notes | |
| Management | Municipal |
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Marksville Prehistoric Indian Site
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| NRHP reference No. | 66000372 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | July 19, 1964 |
The Marksville Prehistoric Indian Site, also known as the Marksville site, is an amazing place where ancient people once lived. It is an archaeological site located about 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of Marksville, Louisiana. This special spot in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana has many earthworks. These are large structures made of earth, built by the early people of North America.
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Discovering the Marksville Culture
The Marksville site is very important for understanding the Marksville culture. This culture was a local version of the larger Hopewell tradition, which was a group of related Native American cultures. The Marksville site was the first place where scientists carefully dug up and studied this culture. This is why it's called the "type site" for the Marksville culture.
Who Lived Here?
Hundreds of years after the Marksville people, other groups lived near this site. These included the Avoyel and Natchez peoples. They lived in the area until around the year 1700.
Amazing Earthworks
The site has several burial mounds. These mounds are surrounded by a huge, horseshoe-shaped wall made of earth. This earthen wall is about 3,000 feet (910 m) long! The Marksville site is one of the biggest of its kind in the southeastern United States. It has unique ring-shaped features that are not found anywhere else.
Studying the Past
Scientists have known about the importance of this site since the 1920s. They have been studying it ever since. Using a method called radiometric dating, which helps figure out how old things are, they found that people lived here between the years 0 and 400 AD.
A Special Place in History
In 1964, the Marksville archaeological site was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important place in American history.
Visiting the Site
The State of Louisiana used to manage the site as a state park. However, in August 2020, the City of Marksville took over its ownership and care. The site has been closed to public access since November 2021.
