A ridge of shells and shell debris built up along a coast by wave action, common in Louisiana and other Gulf Coast regions.
From French chêne 'oak' (possibly referring to oak trees that grew on these ridges) or from Choctaw. The term is particularly associated with Louisiana geography.
Cheniers in Louisiana are like time machines—each ridge represents a different era of coastal landscape, and archaeologists use them to understand how Native Americans and early settlers adapted to shifting coastlines.
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