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Archaeologists describe prehistory through periods of cultural development. The following periods are found throughout Texas. The description of a period for various regions in Texas may differ. For example, the nomadic lifestyle lasted longer in the plains and in the west because of buffalo hunting, but they had pottery and the bow/arrow around the same time as in eastern Texas.
The eastern Texas region included populations ranging from the Paleo-Indian (pre 6000 B.C.) through the Archaic (6000 B.C. - 200 B.C.), Early Ceramic (200 B.C - A.D. 800), and Late Prehistoric (A.D. 800 - A.D. 1680) into the Historic (A.D. 1680 - present).
These periods are defined based on changes in environment, technology, and/or population requiring cultural adaptations to meet varying circumstances.
The Paleo-Indian populations were characterized by small, mobile bands of hunters and gatherers that consumed a variety of plants and animals (Story 1990; Bryant and Schafer 1977:19-20). Archaeological finds for this period may include lanceolate projectile points with ground, concave bases and longitudinal fluting. Toward the end of the Paleo-Indian period, point styles gradually changed to more stemmed and barbed varieties.
The Archaic period refers to hunter-gatherers who implemented more regionally specialized approaches toward exploiting their environment but retained a hunting-gathering subsistence (Story 1990). The Archaic is further divided into Early, Middle, and Late divisions. This greater number and distribution of Late Archaic sites in East Texas suggests the successful adaptation to the environment lasting until the development of pottery (around 500-100 B.C) and/or until the development of the bow and arrow.
The Early Ceramic (200 B.C.-A.D. 800) period, also referred to as the Woodland period, represents an increasing utilization of the environment. A number of characteristic innovations appear during the Early Ceramic period, in particular, a greater reliance on cultigens (corn and squash) and more prolonged occupations at specific locales. The technological innovations appearing during the Early Ceramic period include the bow and arrow and the widespread production of pottery (Story et al. 1990).
The Late Prehistoric period in northeast Texas involves the Caddoan culture (A.D. 800-1680). This culture was an indigenous development strongly influenced by the Mississippian tradition of the Lower Mississippi Valley (Wyckoff 1971; Story 1990:323). Caddo subsistence and social organization differ markedly from earlier periods. Horticulture and then agriculture supplemented hunting and gathering. Larger aggregates of people became sedentary and constructed villages with public ceremonial areas. Cemeteries are found in association with large ceremonial mounds. A stratified social structure developed, corresponding to the chiefdom level as first defined by Service (1962; 1975). Larger settlements are mainly distributed on elevated landforms adjacent to major streams, while smaller farmsteads can be found along minor tributaries and spring-fed branches. Hamlets and farmsteads are the most common type of Caddoan settlement, although larger communities occur in association with mound centers. The Caddo tradition lasted until European domination of the area. (East Texas Prehistory information provided by Victor Galan, Deep East Texas Archaeological Consultants).
Sources Cited:
Bryant, V.M. and H. Schafer
1977 The Late Quaternary Paleoenvironment of Texas: A Model for the Archaeologist. Bulletin of the Texas Archaeological Society 48:1-25.
Story, D.A.
1990 Environmental Setting. In The Archaeology and Bioarchaeology of the Gulf Coastal Plain, vols. 1 and 2. Arkansas Archaeological Survey Research Series No. 38. Fayetteville, Arkansas
Story, D.A. J.A. Guy, B.A. Burnett, M.D. Freeman, J.C. Rose, D.G. Steele, B.W. Olive and K.J. Reinhard
1990 The Archaeology and Bioarchaeology of the Gulf Coastal Plain, vols. 1 and 2. Arkansas Archaeological Survey Research Series No. 38. Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Wyckoff, D.G.
1971 The Caddoan Cultural Area: An Archaeological Perspective. Oklahoma Archaeological Survey, University of Oklahoma, Norman.
Prehistory in The Handbook of Texas
Archaeology in The Handbook of Texas
Texas Beyond History
Digital Atlas of Idaho, Lanceolate projectile point photo and description
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