LSU Campus Mounds

An undated early schematic of the LSU campus shows the mounds circled and labeled as "Indian Reservation."

In 1918, in search of a more spacious campus than the downtown location, LSU officials began the process of acquiring land south of downtown, settling on the former Williams tract, also known as Gartness.

On May 22 of that year, to solidify public support, lawmakers and other prominent leaders were invited to a barbecue at the site of a unique feature on the property, two side-by-side Native American mounds.

The eventual purchase of the site initiated the process of planning the new campus. While the design revolved around a classroom core composed chiefly of two intersecting quadrangles, planners also took great care to highlight the mounds, which were left untouched out of respect and a desire to preserve the intriguing structures.

Later, while helping plan a portion of the campus, Louisiana Gov. Huey P. Long, who served from 1928 to 1932, circled the mounds on a map, labeling the area as an "Indian Reservation" to emphasize his insistence that they be protected.

Over the years, as the campus grew beyond that original design, those early wishes have been respected. The mounds have maintained their prominent presence as a testament to the rich cultural past of the site.

The mounds were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

A team conducts core sampling on one of the mounds in 1985. The heavy equipment used in the sampling, the best practice at the time, has since been replaced with drones and non-invasive scanning technology. 

Much has been learned about the mounds over years of research and exploration. But many mysteries remain.

The first known excavation of the site, conducted by "relic hunters" around 1940, uncovered no artifacts that could shine light on the mounds' origins. At that time, LSU geologists estimated the mounds to be from 800 to 1,000 years old and likely used as a burial ground.

In 1982, campus scientists conducted the university's first in-depth study of the mounds. They took six core samples to try to date the mounds and analyze the make-up of the soil deep within. That group initially estimated the mounds' age to be about 2,000 years old.

Further core sampling in 1985 and 2009 produced no evidence to suggest the site was a burial ground, and it helped archaeologists revise the mounds' estimated age to 5,500 to 6,200 years old.

However, new research by LSU geology professor Brooks Ellwood, based on his analysis of the material taken from within the mounds in 2009, has found evidence that led him to conclude the mounds are substantially older than previously thought, some parts as much as 11,000 years old, which would make the mounds the oldest known human-made structures in the Americas. 

A man stands on one of the mounds in this undated file photo. Ever-growing awareness and respect for the mounds, their cultural significance, and the need to preserve them mean that past practices of using the mounds for recreation and other activities are no longer allowed.

As LSU was considering the purchase of a plot of land for an expanded campus, people were already gravitating to the new location's most distinctive feature, the pair of Native American mounds rising from the property. Photos from an on-site barbecue in 1918 to promote the purchase show a large number of attendees lounging on the mounds.

What was happening then continued to happen for decades to come as students, sports fans, and other members of the community made the mounds their personal playground, study space, or preferred vantage point for a view of the campus.

For years, little thought was given to the sacred aspects of the mounds, as well as the fragile nature of the ancient structures. Gathering, tailgating, sliding, sledding, and simply sitting on the mounds for so many years took a toll.

And there were tragic consequences as well. In two separate incidents in the 1980s, students were struck by vehicles driving over the mounds, fatally injuring one student and leaving another with serious injuries. Those incidents led to the installation of vehicle barriers, but people still came to climb and frolic on the mounds.

In recent years, fences, landscaping, and posted rules have been used in attempts to keep people off the mounds, with various levels of success.  The current effort to preserve the mounds will use these tools, along with education and understanding, to change this mindset and give the mounds the respect and protections they deserve.