Two grassy mounds on the LSU campus are among the oldest human-made structures in North America, constructed roughly 11,000 years ago by Archaic-period hunter-gatherers. The mounds are about 8 metres high and were clearly intentional constructions, built in stages over centuries, though their exact purpose remains debated — ritual site, gathering point, or territorial marker.
The mounds sit between the lakes on the south side of campus, accessible via the university grounds. There are no fences, no admission charges, and relatively few interpretive signs — the LSU Museum of Natural Science and the Department of Geography and Anthropology have studied them extensively, but they remain in a somewhat understated position given their historical importance. Worth visiting if you are on campus for any reason, and a reminder that Louisiana's human history extends far beyond the plantation era most visitors know.