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The Archaeological Society of Oklahoma

State History

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This page will feature information about the history of Oklahoma, from Paleo sites like Cooper and Domebo to protohistoric sites like Harlen and Spiro.

 

The Archaeological Society of Oklahoma Seal
By Chris Merriam
Oklahoma President, Norman, OK.

Oklahoma is a major crossroads in North America; where the Plains meet the Woodlands, and rivers flow from the Rocky Mountains towards the Gulf of Mexico. Throughout prehistory many cultures have called Oklahoma home, and they left behind many unique relics.

The seal for Oklahoma Chapter of the CSAS shows some of these rare artifacts. A variety of shell bead styles from the Spiro Mounds makeup the circle. The central bison skull with a painted lightning bolt zigzag is from the Cooper Site. The point at left is the finest Folsom found at Cooper. The point at right is a Tribute point from the Spiro Mounds. These are superimposed over a map of the state showing the major rivers that flow through the state.

Cooper Site Folsom
This exquisite Folsom, made from Edwards Plateau chert from South Central Texas, is 2 1/2" long and 1/8" thick. Photo is of a cast

The Cooper Bison Kill Site is located on the Beaver River in Harper Co., OK. in the N.W. part of the state. The site was excavated in 1993 and 1994; Oklahoma amateur archaeologists provided a great deal of assistance in the process. There were three distinct Folsom age kill events over the course of many years. The most unique item found at the Cooper site was a Bison skull that had a Red Ochre zigzag lightning bolt painted on it; this is the earliest example of Native American painting ever excavated. This skull was most likely a tribute offering prior to the second hunt.

The Tribute Point
This Arrowpoint is made of Harvester chert from near St. Louis, Missouri, and is 1 3/4" long, 1" wide, and 3/32" thick.

The Spiro Mounds Site is located in LeFlore Co., OK. in the Eastern part of the state, some 15 miles from Downtown Fort Smith, AR. Commercial diggers first worked the site from 1933 to 1935, WPA excavations began in 1936. Spiro is the western most site recognized as part of the South East Ceremonial Complex, which includes sites like Cahokia, Moundsville and Etowah. Spiro is best known for having the largest concentration of prestige goods north of Mexico. Most of it was recovered from the "Central Chamber" the hollow core in the main cone of the mound.

References
Bement, Leland C.
1999 Bison Hunting at the Cooper Site: Where Lightning Bolts Drew Thundering Herds. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman

Merriam, Larry and Christopher
2004 The Spiro Mound: A Photo Essay. Photographs from the Collection of Dr. Robert E. Bell. Merriam Station Books, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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