Feasting at Poverty Point with Poverty Point Objects

Ritualized feasting events best explain the distinctive archaeological record of Poverty Point. This study identifies key signatures of feasting—such as vast artifact diversity, well-designed earthworks, and millions of baked-clay objects (Poverty Point Objects)—as integral to understanding the site's cultural practices. The research draws on archaeological and anthropological frameworks to argue that these features were central to periodic communal gatherings, with Poverty Point Objects playing a specific role in the feasts.

Hays, C. T. (2018). Feasting at Poverty Point with Poverty Point Objects. Southeastern Archaeology, 38(3), 193–207. https://doi.org/10.1080/0734578x.2018.1496315