LSU Awarded National Park Service Grant to Preserve 6,000-Year-Old Campus Mounds

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana State University (LSU) has been awarded a $220,871 grant from the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures program to conserve and protect the historic LSU Campus Mounds—two ancient, nationally significant archaeological landmarks that date back at least 6,000 years. Matching funds from LSU will bring the total investment in these preservation efforts to $441,742.

The LSU Campus Mounds Preservation Project focuses on mitigating erosion, repairing damage, and bolstering the mounds’ long-term stability through the introduction of drought-resistant grasses. These efforts will help ensure the continued preservation of some of the oldest documented man-made structures in North America.

This work not only safeguards an irreplaceable piece of our nation’s cultural heritage but also reaffirms LSU’s dedication to honoring and protecting resources that remain deeply meaningful to Tribes and our community.

The Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, and the Louisiana Division of Archaeology are key partners on the project. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, the LSU Campus Mounds hold exceptional significance for research, education, and cultural understanding.

The National Park Service, Department of the Interior, awarded a total of $25.7 million in Save America’s Treasures grants this year to preserve significant sites and collections across the United States. Funding for these grants is made possible by the Historic Preservation Fund, which uses revenue from federal offshore oil and gas leases.

For more information about the LSU Campus Mounds Preservation Project, visit lsu.edu/mounds. To learn more about the Save America’s Treasures program, visit nps.gov/stlpg.