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Louisiana Gets Its First World Heritage Site

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Mound A at Poverty Point, LA, the state's first and only World Heritage Site.

Louisiana gained its first World Heritage Site on Sunday. The ancient earthworks of Poverty Point, LA were designated by UNESCO as the 22nd world heritage site in the U.S.,  alongside landmarks like the Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty.

It was one of seven sites around the world to be given the designation by the United Nations at a meeting in Qatar. The others are in Botswana, France, Israel, Italy and two locations in Turkey.

The Poverty Point complex is located in the Lower Mississippi Valley and includes five mounds, six concentric ridges and a central plaza. UNESCO said it was created for ceremonial purposes by a society of hunter-gatherers between 3,700 and 3,100 B.C.

Most countries only nominate one or two sites each year, and this year, Poverty Point was the United States’ only nomination.

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