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Archaeotrek



Louisiana State University Campus Mounds
Burial Mounds • Archaic & Mississippian


By Dr. Greg Little


Portions of this article come from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Mounds & Earthworks.


The LSU Campus mounds are two conical mounds on the main campus of LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They are located at the intersection of Dalrymple Drive and Fieldhouse Drive. The mounds are actually dated to the Archaic and Mississippian periods and thought to be at least 5,000 years old. (Louisiana does have the oldest known mounds in the United States.) The mounds are both about 20-feet in height. They have been restored to their supposed original size and shape but prior to the 1980’s they were unprotected and they were used for tailgate parties. The mounds were actually run over by vehicles routinely until an event in the mid-1980s caused officials to enclose them. A vehicle ran over one of the mounds and struck a student who died. Fences and sidewalks were installed but the fenscs were soon torn down by partying students. The university then built a brick wall one one side. However, the mounds are still used by students riding down them on makeshift “sleds” and slides.


Thursday, March 28, 2024