Mound B

Mound B. . , Mound B is the oldest mound at Poverty Point. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from the mound indicates that its construction began about 1600 B.C. , Mound B today is about 20 feet in height and it is 180 feet in diameter at its base Originally, the mound had a perfect conical form, but archaeological excavations in 1955 inadvertently altered its shape. , The topsoil was removed before mound construction began. After that, the mound was built in seven construction stages, including three major flat-topped platforms made of silt loam. The floors of the platforms had firepits, charcoal, and possible postholes, indicating that some activities occurred there. A conical silt-loam mantle was placed over the entire mound for the last construction stage, providing the final shape of the mound. , Woven baskets and skin containers used to haul dirt left impressions in the fill of the mound. These have allowed archaeologists to better understand the ancient earth-moving techniques., Although conical mounds in the southeastern U.S are often burial mounds, Mound B is not one. Understanding how it was used will require future research.