Although countless sites have been destroyed in Louisiana, many other
sites have been saved by concerned individuals, companies, and
organizations.
Our legislators have been interested enough in Louisiana’s heritage to
draft laws that help protect sites. Without a permit, it is now illegal
to dig into, alter, or take anything from a site on state or federal
land. Recent legislation calls for strict fines or jail sentences for
people collecting materials from federal lands.
Our laws also help protect sites from those land alteration projects
that in the past destroyed so many sites. The locations of proposed
projects are now checked against archaeological records to be sure that
no known sites will be affected. If the project is a large one, or if
the area appears likely to have sites, an archaeological investigation
will be recommended to determine whether sites are in the area.
Because of this process, approximately 400 previously undocumented sites
are now recorded and evaluated by archaeologists in Louisiana each year.
This has resulted in a more complete record of Louisiana’s
archaeological sites and a decrease in the rate of site destruction by
industry. It has also encouraged developers to think about the care of
our past early in the planning stages of their projects.
Both federal and state governments protect archaeological sites as parks
that the public can visit. In Louisiana, the National Park Service has
included the Big Oak Island site near New Orleans as part of Jean
Lafitte National Historical Park. This site dates from the time of
Christ and was seasonally used for shellfish collecting and processing.
The Louisiana Office of State Parks also maintains two prehistoric
archaeological sites that are open to the public and that have
interpretive museums. One is Poverty Point Commemorative Area where the
state’s largest prehistoric earthworks were built 3,000 years ago, and
the other is Marksville State Commemorative Area where Indians built
mounds approximately 2,000 years ago. Archaeological investigations have
also been conducted at many of the commemorative areas associated with
18th, 19th, and 20th century history. These parks give people a chance
to learn more about archaeology and how it contributes to an
understanding of our state’s past.