Chronological Hygiene and Bayesian Modeling of Poverty Point Sites in the Lower Mississippi Valley, circa 4200 to 3200 cal BP

New radiocarbon dating and Bayesian modeling challenge the notion of a unified Poverty Point culture, revealing that the monumental earthworks at Poverty Point likely developed through rapid, punctuated events around 3300 to 3200 cal BP. Contrary to previous interpretations suggesting gradual political or evolutionary processes spanning hundreds of years, this study finds no temporal coherence among so-called Poverty Point sites. Poverty Point itself appears to have been occupied for a relatively short period and is younger than many other sites thought to be contemporary. The research employs rigorous chronological hygiene and Bayesian analyses to refine the understanding of site occupation timelines in the lower Mississippi Valley.

Kidder, T. R., & Grooms, S. B. (2023). Chronological Hygiene and Bayesian Modeling of Poverty Point Sites in the Lower Mississippi Valley, circa 4200 to 3200 cal BP. American Antiquity, 89(1), 98–118. https://doi.org/10.1017/aaq.2023.85