Selected Prehistoric Caddo Sites in the Upper Sabine River Basin of Northeast Texas

Timothy K Perttula,Leeanna Schniebs

doi:10.21112/.ita.2010.1.25

Abstract

Some years ago, I commented that the upper Sabine River basin in Northeast Texas had “a highly significant and diverse archaeological record, one that has intrigued professional and avocational archaeologists alike for at least 75 years." At the same time, I noted that “we still know very little about the prehistoric and early historic Caddoan groups who lived in the basin, and unfortunately it has been a number of years since dedicated archaeologists, professional or avocational, turned their attention to this region." In this article, I present information on five different prehistoric Caddo sites in the upper Sabine River basin, specifically in Smith and Wood counties, Texas. What these five sites share besides the fact that they are prehistoric Caddo sites is that the findings from the archaeological work completed at them has not previously been made available to, or shared with, the archaeological community, despite the work having been done more than 20-30 years ago. Each of the five sites is important in its own right as a place where the prehistoric heritage of the Caddo peoples has been preserved, and together they help illuminate the native history of the Caddo in the upper Sabine River basin of their traditional homelands.

Highlights

I commented that the upper Sabine River basin in Northeast Texas had “a highly significant and diverse archaeological record, one that has intrigued professional and avocational archaeologists alike for at least 75 years” (Perttula 1995:v)
I noted that “we still know very little about the prehistoric and early historic Caddoan groups who lived in the basin, and it has been a number of years since dedicated archaeologists, professional or avocational, turned their attention to this region” (Perttula 1995:v)
Each of the five sites is important in its own right as a place where the prehistoric heritage of the Caddo peoples has been preserved, and together they help illuminate the native history of the Caddo in the upper Sabine River basin of their traditional homelands

Summary

INTRODUCTION

I commented that the upper Sabine River basin in Northeast Texas had “a highly significant and diverse archaeological record, one that has intrigued professional and avocational archaeologists alike for at least 75 years” (Perttula 1995:v). I present information on five different prehistoric Caddo sites in the upper Sabine River basin, in Smith and Wood counties, Texas (Figure 1). Each of the five sites is important in its own right as a place where the prehistoric heritage of the Caddo peoples has been preserved, and together they help illuminate the native history of the Caddo in the upper Sabine River basin of their traditional homelands This site was located during a 1986 reconnaissance survey of the proposed Waters Bluff Reservoir along the Sabine River (Perttula 1986). Selected Prehistoric Caddo Sites in the Upper Sabine River Basin of Northeast Texas 43

Midden B 3

Creek Cut Bank

Findings

CONCLUSIONS