DePrato Mounds, Archaeological mound complex in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, United States.
DePrato Mounds is an archaeological complex of five platform mounds and a central plaza covering about four acres east of the confluence of Black Bayou and Bayou Cocodrie in Concordia Parish, Louisiana. The largest remaining mound, Mound C, has a base of 82 by 66 feet and stands about 6 feet high. Flooding has laid 3 feet of sediment over the bases of the mounds and the plaza.
Occupation at DePrato Mounds spans the Troyville through Middle Coles Creek periods, roughly 400 to 800 CE. Radiocarbon dating and decorated pottery place the largest mound at about 600 CE. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 22, 1998.
The discovery of human remains within three mounds demonstrates the complex burial practices and ceremonial activities of early Mississippi Valley inhabitants.
The site lies east of the confluence of Black Bayou and Bayou Cocodrie in Concordia Parish, west of Ferriday along US 84. Mound D was demolished to supply fill for a highway project, so the surviving group is smaller than the original five. The Archaeological Conservancy owns the property to protect it from further degradation.
Mound D was demolished to supply fill for a highway construction project, and Mound E was built over as the site of a private house. The Archaeological Conservancy, a nonprofit organization, has purchased the site to protect it from future degradation.
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