Jon Gibson confronts the intriguing mystery of Poverty Point, the ruins of a large prehistoric Indian settlement that was home to one of the most fascinating ancient cultures in eastern North America. The 3,500-year-old site in northeastern Louisiana is known for its large, elaborate earthworks -- a series of concentric, crescent-shaped dirt rings and bird-shaped mounds. This is the first full-scale political, economic, and organizational analysis of Poverty Point and nearby affiliated sites.