The Indian Mounds on Cypress and Field House drive could be the oldest man-made structure left standing, according to Geology Professor Brooks Ellwood and the LSU Geology & Geophysics Department.
After extensive research, it was discovered that the Indian Mounds could be as old as 11,300 years, older than the Egyptian pyramids and Great Wall of China combined.  
The cores from the Indian Mounds revealed ash beds that have carbon-14, which decays over time and can be used to date material, according to Ellwood.
It’s theorized that the Clovis people, a group of ancient North Americans, built fires on the mounds. Due to the findings of large mammal bone, researchers believe these fires could have been used for human cremation or ceremonial rites, but native tribal leaders don’t allow DNA testing of bones found in the U.S.
Despite the LSU Geology Department’s extensive research, other professors question the legitimacy of these claims, including University of Tennessee archaeologist David Anderson.
“Given the extraordinary claims, I would need to see the evidence before stating whether I agreed with the findings or not,” Anderson said.
Both mounds contain different substances, despite their close proximity. The mound closest to Tiger Stadium is made up of loess, a glacially blown sediment. The mound near the Pentagon is composed of flood plain material.
“The A mound, closest to Pentagon, is very susceptible to damage because it’s very wet,” Ellwood said.
Given that the University has spent over $20,000 on researching the Indian Mounds, many believe that students and guests shouldn’t be allowed to freely walk on it.
Engineering freshman Ethan Lozano said that “history is history,” and the Indian Mounds should be blocked off because “you can just look at it and take it in.”
The Mounds have been blocked off multiple times while research is being conducted, but when they aren’t, it’s become tradition for children to play on them during game days or for University students to attempt sledding during Louisiana’s occasional snowfalls. 
As the Indian Mounds are one of the many things that make the LSU campus special, the Geology Department is attempting to do whatever it can to preserve the historical landmark.