The Caddoan Occupation of the Attoyac and Angelina River Basins in the Middle Caddoan Period

Tom Middlebrook

doi:10.21112/.ita.1997.1.36

Abstract

The Angelina River basin, including the drainage of its largest tributary, the Attoyac Bayou, encompasses all of Nacogdoches County and portions of Cherokee, Rusk, Angelina, San Augustine, Shelby, and Sabine counties in deep East Texas. Archaeological studies in the region that have illuminated our understanding of Caddoan developments have been meager and spotty at best. There is no archaeological evidence in the Angelina River basin of extensive Caddoan occupation during the Early Caddoan period (ca. A.D. 1000-1200). Jelks presented the results of the largest archaeological project conducted in the area in his dissertation dealing with the archaeology of the McGee Bend Reservoir (Lake Sam Rayburn) by reviewing 13 sites excavated between 1956 and 1962. Every site excavated was multicomponent, and included at least some Archaic dart points, Early Ceramic period sandy paste sherds, and grog-tempered Caddoan ceramics. Jelks has been the other archaeologist to propose an archaeological taxonomic unit for the Caddoan sites based on work in the basin with his formulation of the "Angelina focus." This broad unit appears to include sites that date from ca. A.D. 1200 until historic Caddoan times, and was based, in part, upon the presence of Broaddus Brushed and Pineland Punctated-Incised ceramics at the sites.

Highlights

The Angelina River basin, including the drainage of its 11arg~sl tributary, the Attoyac Bayou, encompasses all of Nacogdoches County and portions of Cherokee, Rusk, Angelina, San Augustine, Shelby, and Sabine counties in deep East Texas
There is no archaeological evidence in the Angelina River basin of extensive Caddoan occupation during the Early Caddoan period
Jelks. (1965) presented the results of the largest archaeological project conducted in the area in his dissertation dealing with the archaeology of the McGee Bend Resetvoir (Lake Sam Rayburn) by reviewing 13 sites excavated between 1956 and 1962

Summary

Introduction

The Angelina River basin, including the drainage of its 11arg~sl tributary, the Attoyac Bayou, encompasses all of Nacogdoches County and portions of Cherokee, Rusk, Angelina, San Augustine, Shelby, and Sabine counties in deep East Texas. Jelks ( 1965) has been the other archaeologist to propose an archaeological taxonomic unit for the Caddoan sites based on work in the basin with his fonnulation of the "Angelina focus." This broad unit appears to include sites that date from ca. A tentative expansion of this temporal classification is presented here: Middle Caddo: Was hi ngton Square (41 NA49), Sawmill (41 SA89), Blount (41 SA 123), Tysou (41 SY92); other possible sites include Print Bell (41 SB36) and Sam Stripl1ing (41 NA 197) (Figure 1). My comments here will be largely based upon archaeological findings at the Sawmill, Blount, and Tyson sites. A summary of key positive findings from the three Middle Caddoan period sites is presented below, including cultural features, mortuary practices, dating, and material culture. Pits for possible storage, bunting, and trash disposal have been found at each of the sites (Tyson, n=5; Sawmill, n=4; Blount, n= I)

Mortuary Practices

Material Culture