The Caddo Indians of Louisiana
Second Edition, Second Printing March 1990
Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
Louisiana Archaeological Survey and Antiquities Commission
Clarence Webb
Hiram F. Gregory

Louisiana's cultural heritage dates back to approximately 10,000
B.C. when man first entered this region. Since that time, many
other
Indian groups have settled here. All of these groups, as well as
the more
recent whites and blacks, have left evidence of their presence in
the
archaeological record. The Anthropological Study series published
by
the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Office of
Cultural
Development, Division of Archaeology, provides a readable account
of
various activities of these cultural groups.
This booklet, The Caddo Indians of Louisiana, was originally published in 1978 and was the second volume in the Anthropological
Study
series. The demand for this booklet proved so great that by 1982
it was
out of print. For the last three years the Division of
Archaeology has
received so many requests for this volume that it is now being
reissued.
The present volume is virtually identical to the previous one
with the
exception of the illustrations.
Clarence H. Webb, a well-known Shreveport physician and a pioneer
in Caddoan studies and Hiram F. Gregory, a professor at
Northwestern
State University, are the authors of this volume. Combined, they
have
spent over six decades studying the Indian cultures of the
northwestern
part of the state. The present volume summarizes a portion of
their work
in this area. It describes the various prehistoric cultures that
were
present in this part of Louisiana but concentrates on the Caddo
cultural
manifestations. It also discusses the Indians' early interaction
with European explorers, traders, and missionaries. The archaeological
remains
of several of the historic Caddo groups are also described.
We are pleased once again to make this booklet available to the
people of the state. We trust the reader will enjoy this volume.
Kathleen Byrd

Northwestern Louisiana was occupied by the Caddo Indians during
the period of early Spanish, French, and American contacts. By combining history and archaeology, the Caddo story can be traced back for a
thousand years-a unique opportunity made possible by a long tradition
of distinctive traits, especially in pottery forms and decorations. Our
story of the Caddo Indians in Louisiana, therefore, begins around A.D.
800-900 and can be traced by archaeology well into the historic period.
The center of Caddoan occupation during contact times and throughout
their prehistoric development was along Red River and its tributaries,
with extensions to other river valleys in the four-state area of
northern Louisiana, southwestern Arkansas, eastern Texas, and eastern
Oklahoma. The successful agriculture of these farming peoples was best
adapted to the fertile valleys of major streams like the Red, Sabine,
Angelina, Ouachita and-in Oklahoma-the Canadian and Arkansas
rivers.
In spite of their linguistic (language) connections with Plains tribes
like the Wichita, Pawnee, and Ankara, the Caddos in Louisiana had
customs much like those of other Southeastern tribes. They maintained
trade and cultural contacts with the lower Mississippi Valley tribes of
eastern and southern Louisiana for many centuries.
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