2024 Excursions 

Tuesday, April 16 - Wednesday, April 17

Poverty Point - sponsored by the Geoarchaeology Interest Group

1:00 p.m. on Tuesday - 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday; 45 minimum;, 56 maximum; $110 per person

This is a two-day field trip that will take you to Poverty Point World Heritage Site on the edge of the lower Mississippi Valley in northeast Louisiana. We will introduce you to the complex and rich cultural and natural history of the region, with a guided tour of the Poverty Point site and museum. Poverty Point is an enigmatic place, and a key objective of the trip is to provide participants with an understanding of the multiple interpretations of the site. Archaeologists and geoarchaeologists will relate their perspectives on the complicated history of the site, different interpretations of its cultural features, and the development of archaeological thinking about Poverty Point and complex hunter-gatherers. The guided walking tour* will discuss the history of the mounds and ridges at the site, enabling attendees to gain an understanding of place and its relationship to the natural and cultural environment. We will also use the walking tour to discuss the geoarchaeology of the region, discussing the evolution of the Poverty Point landscape and the influences of the shifting Mississippi River immediately to the east. We will also spend time in the site museum where visitors can view some of the exceptional material remains from Poverty Point and gain a deeper appreciation of the extraordinary artifact diversity at the site. The registration rate does not include meals or hotel rooms. We will be spending the night in Vicksburg, and participants are responsible for finding their own accommodations. * For anyone who is mobility challenged or prefers not to take the walking tour, there is an option for a guided tram tour of the site as well.

Wednesday, April 17

Climate Change, Land Loss, and Archaeological Resilience in the Delta - sponsored by the Committee on Climate Change Strategies and Archaeological Resources

9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.; 30 minimum, 38 maximum; $180 per person

Climate change and anthropogenic actions are severely impacting archaeological sites and traditional cultural places in the Mississippi River Delta, where a football field of land is lost every 100 minutes to erosion from subsidence and sea-level rise. Leaving on small boats (7–17 persons each) out of Barataria Preserve in Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, this field trip is an exploration of site loss and resilience in the Lake Salvador basin. An orientation at the Barataria Preserve Visitors Center will provide background on projects underway to evaluate rates of loss, implement salvage efforts, and understand larger impacts of cultural heritage loss for traditional communities. The two-hour boat tour will be led by local agency archaeologists and members of local tribes, such as the United Houma Nation or Chitimacha Tribe, who will be on board each boat to interpret up to six sites that represent First Peoples’ shell middens and temple mounds, as well as historic cemeteries. At the end of the tour, participants will visit Restaurant des Familles and purchase their own lunch prior to returning to the meeting hotels. 

Thursday, April 18

Evergreen Plantation and Whitney Plantation: Archaeology, Environmental Justice, and Historic Preservation

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; 30 minimum, 40 maximum; $124 per person

This tour provides visitors the opportunity to travel through one of the most remarkable and historic landscapes remaining along the Gulf Coast. Tour the National Historic Landmark site of Evergreen Plantation and learn about ongoing household archaeology and excavations at the site, as well as historic preservation efforts. The tour group will then have lunch at the iconic Nobile’s Restaurant (http://www.nobilesrestaurant.com/), established on the river in 1895 (lunch cost not included in tour registration fee). Follow up with a tour of the Whitney Plantation, the only museum dedicated to telling the story of enslaved African Americans and of the German Coast Uprising.

Friday, April 19

Tours of Fort Pike and Fort Macomb

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.; 30 minimum, 40 maximum; $40 per person

This field trip will include a ranger-guided tour of Forts Pike and Macomb, two nineteenth-century American forts completed in the 1820s to guard water passages leading to New Orleans from the east and north. These were two of six Monroe Doctrine–era forts constructed to bolster coastal defenses along the Gulf Coast after the War of 1812. Fort Pike, the larger of the two, was an important staging area and prison for Seminole and Black prisoners of war during the Seminole Wars, a gathering point for soldiers en route to fight in the Mexican War, and a garrison for Union troops and training center for formerly enslaved men joining the US Colored Troops during the Civil War. Both of these National Register–listed forts normally are closed to the public but will be open by special invitation by the Louisiana Office of State Parks for attendees of this tour. The tour bus also will pass through Village de l’Est, New Orleans’s largest Vietnamese neighborhood.

Saturday, April 20

Barataria Preserve - sponsored by the Zooarchaeology Interest Group

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.; 30 minimum, 40 maximum; $40 per person

Barataria Preserve (https://www.nps.gov/jela/planyourvisit/barataria-preserve. htm) consists of hardwood forest, swamp, bayous, and marshlands. It offers archaeologists the chance to experience the environmental diversity of the Louisiana wetlands, thereby better understanding how people have interacted with this landscape through time. For zooarchaeologists, this excursion provides an opportunity to see the animals we study in their natural habitat and speak with experienced professionals, such as park rangers, about their behavior and habitat preferences. Our excursion will have several options for participants to personalize their time based on their interests and needs. The preserve includes trails, picnic areas, and wildlife viewing, all of which will be available to participants to explore individually or with others in our group. Additionally, the visitor center’s films and exhibits discuss the wetlands and its conservation, providing a good place for participants in case of inclement weather. There are also daily ranger programs that participants can take part in during our excursion, if they are interested, that require no prior booking. Spring is an especially wonderful time to visit considering many wildflowers, most notably irises, are in bloom, offering participants a glimpse at unique flora.

French Quarter Walking Tour

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.; 10 minimum, 20 maximum; $15 per person

University of New Orleans archaeologist Ryan Gray will lead a group to the locations of some of the most important archaeological and historical sites in the French Quarter and vicinity, highlighting 50 years of archaeological research in the city of New Orleans. Download the New Orleans Historical web app (https:// neworleanshistorical.org/) for access to photographs of artifacts, documents, and excavations from each site.