Volume 4 Article 4 Issue 4 Summer 7-15-1985 The rP e-History of Central and Western Oklahoma Stanley Bussey Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.swosu.edu/westview Recommended Citation Bussey, Stanley (1985) "The rP e-History of Central and Western Oklahoma," Westview: Vol. 4 : Iss. 4 , Article 4. Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/westview/vol4/iss4/4 This Nonfiction is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at SWOSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Westview by an authorized administrator of SWOSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA The Pre-History Of Central And Western Oklahoma by Stanley Bussey A s late as the early 1920’s, it was generally /■ assumed that the American Indians had entered JL the continent about the time of Christ, perhaps replacing earlier immigrants from Egypt of Phoenicia. Some groups, the Apache for example, were believed to be relative latecomers to the scene, Mongol refugees from Genghiz Khan or one of his descendants. Ar- WESTVIEVV, Summer 1985 chaeologists were gradually filling in It includes many groups of hunters sites, theJohnson-Cline and the Shores the picture of human occupation of w-ho lived around the end of the archaeological sites, are in Texas North America; however, there were Pleistocene and hunted Ice Age animals County. These sites are camp areas in few archaeologists, and they were before they became extinct. These sand dunes and show long occupations. hampered by the lack of good dating animals included mammoth, several Beginning w-ith the late Paleo-Indian techniques. species of large bison, wild horses, Plainview- and extending into the In 1926, a geologist excavating the and camels to name the most common. Plains Village period, both sites appear remains of extinct Pleistocene bison All of the groups of this period used to have some stratification. Bat Cave, near Folsom, New Mexico, found assemblages of stone tools developed in Cimmaron County, may contain stone spear points with the bison for killing and processing large game, Paleo-Indian material. bones and suddenly quintupled the although the animals emphasized length of time humans were known to vary through time. ARCHAIC PERIOD have been in the Americas. Later While interpreting archeological During the entire Paleo-Indian work pushed the earliest date of data, archeologists rely heavily on period, the climate of the area had human occupation back even further, distinctive artifacts that have a res­ been gradually changing, becoming and some archaeologists feel we have tricted distribution in time and space warmer and drier. For reasons not not yet finished with this task. -the “diagnostic” artifacts. In the fully understood, many species of This summary may give the im­ Paleo-Indian period, most of the diag­ animals (elephants, camels, and several pression that we know more about nostic artifacts are flaked stone spear varieties of bison) became extinct in Oklahoma's prehistoric past than we points. Other tools, which are not as North America. Others (musk ox, really do. Of necessity it ignores the distinctive, include flaked stone some large bison, and perhaps horse) confusion and controversy that exist scrapers, choppers, and knives; bone shifted north where they survived in about most major aspects of the awls and needles; and shell and stone smaller numbers. Byt the end of the human past in Oklahoma. In fact, our beads. Paleo-Indian period, the climate and task is like trying to assemble a Archaeologists divide the Paleo-In­ the plants and animals of the area jigsaw puzzle with most of the pieces dian material of the Southwestern were essentially modern in character. missing-we think we know what the Plains into tw-o complexes. The Llano The only major herd animals left picture is. but we still don't know- complex, marked by Clovis and Folsom were bison, and they tended to stay in many of the details. points, is earlier (roughly 10,000 B.C. the north during dry periods. -7,500 B.C.) and is found with the From about 6,000 B.C. to about THE PRE-PROJECTILE POINT HORIZON remains of extinct animals species. A.D. 300, people of several local There is good evidence for humans The Plano artifact complex, marked Archaic traditions roamed restricted in North America 12,000 years ago by such point types as Plainview, territories in Central and Western and fair evidence for occupation as Midland, Eden, Scottsbluff, and Me- Oklahoma, gradually becoming more early as 14.000 years ago. Some ar­ serve/Dalton, is later and is found efficient at exploiting the resources of cheologists believe that human occu­ with mixtures of extinct and modem their own areas. Artifact distributions pation in the Americas is much older, animals. reflect the smaller territories used by perhaps as much as 100.000 years. One characteristic of the period is Archaic groups. Artifact types, espe­ Evidence for these very early occupa­ that artifact types are spread over cially spear points, are spread over tions is shaky, and most professional broad areas, suggesting the people much smaller areas than previously archaeologists are skeptical; but followed herds across the plains and and the use of imported rock is much before the Folsom discoveries, the prairies without any particular terri­ less common. same thing could be said about the torial restrictions. In general, the Hunting patterns changed from an belief that humans lived here in the Paleo-Indian way of life probably emphasis on large herd animals (horse, late Pleistocene. resembled that of the bison-hunting camel, bison) to an emphasis on The Pre Projectile Point Horizon is a peoples the Spanish found on the smaller, more solitary animals (deer, period created to include all of the Southwestern Plains in A.D. 1541. turkey, squirrel, racoon). Fishing was very early evidence. No sites of this Three National Register sites in added to the inventory of skills, and period have been identified in Oklahoma. Oklahoma date from this period. The vegetable foods became much more Cedar Creek site in Washita County important than in the Paleo-Indian PALEO-INDIAN PERIOD probably is the oldest. This site, period. This period, which began sometime exposed in creek banks, covers about Spear points of the Archaic tend to between 12,000 and 10.000 years ago. 3.360 acres and includes hearths and be large and crudely flaked. Most includes the best documented early other camp evidence as well as mam­ types have stems or tangs formed by evidence of hunters in North America. moth and bison bones. The other two side-or-comer notching or by indenting b WESTYIEW, Summer 1985 the sides of the base. The tool inventory Artifacts of this period include far, the Washita River is the best continues to include a variety of plain and cord-marked pottery, stone known. Our knowledge of the others chipped knives, scrapers, drills and pipes, arrow points (indicating the is marginal at best, and it is likely choppers. Grinding stones for pro­ introduction of the bow), and shell that some distinctive regional variants cessing seeds and other vegetable and flaked stone hoes. This period is have not yet been identified. foods appear. Ground stone tools and very poorly known in Central and It is probable that the origins of ornamentsgradually become more Western Oklahoma. Because the many of the historic Indian tribes of common. domesticated plants grown by Wood­ the Southern Plains are traceable to About A.D. 300, pottery-making land peoples--corn, squash, and sun­ local variants of the village farming part-time farmers of the Woodland flowers-should have provided a more sites, but fewdefiniteconclusions tradition began moving into the area stable food base than hunting and have been reached at this time. along stream valleys. However, the gathering alone, we would expect to In the historic period, there was Archaic tradition remained important find sedentary villages with Woodland considerable cultural confusion in the in Central and Western Oklahoma for artifacts, but no definite villages have area as new groups moved in and several centuries and probably con­ been found. older groups began moving around. tinued to exist locally until the historic Of the National Register sites, This process actually began late in period. Woodland occupation is found only in the prehistoric period when northern Because of the complexity of Okla­ the Three Entrance Cave District in groups, probably Plains Apaches, homa’s Archaic cultures, the lack of Cimarron County. began moving down into the Panhandle dense occupations, and the suscepti­ from Colorado and Kansas. These bility of Archaic sites to damage by THE VILLAGE FARMING PERIOD peoples are represented archaeologi- European farming methods, archae­ These cultures were more successful cally by the Antelope Creek cultures. ologists have not made as much and more widespread than the earlier Of the Village Farming cultures, progress in defining local Archaic Woodland tradition. Although there the Washita River and the Panhandle traditions as might be desired. were regional variations, they shared are best represented on the National Both the Johnson-Cline and the a number of general characteristics. Register. Washita River sites include Shores National Register sites have These include the use of permanent the McLemore site in Washita County, evidence of Archaic occupations. Bat houses in sedentary villages, the bow, the Jewett site in Grady County, and Cave probably contains Archaic ma­ pottery, ground stone axes, and hoes the Lamb-Miller and Goodwin-Baker terial. Other National Register sites made of bison shoulder blades. Beans, sites, in Roger Mills County. Panhandle with remains of this period include an important protein supplement, sites include the Nash Il-Clawson the Red Ghost Cave and Three En­ appeared early in the period.