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In the days before the great horse lords of the Comanche and Kiowa ruled
the Texas plains, the north Texas panhandle was home to a semisedentary society of villagers now known as the Antelope Creek
Phase people. They hunted bison, cultivated seasonal crops, and were the keepers of a complex and little-known culture.
The Antelope Creek Phase villagers lived in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles from approximately A.D. 1200 to 1500 during
an arid period in the region's history.
Archaeology has yielded valuable insight into the nature of Antelope Creek Phase culture.
Several periods of excavation and investigation beginning in 1907 and continuing to the present have provided diagnostic artifiacts
such as dart points, ceramics, structural remains, and rock art. However, despite the reconstruction of Antelope Creek
Phase culture, the model is curiously silent regarding the religion and spirituality of these people. Tubular pipes
and turtle shells have been found, which may suggest certain beliefs, but they only fuel conjecture, given the lack of evidence
for the beliefs and myths of the villagers.
After moving to the Panhandle town of Dumas, I (Judd) and later the other members of
USAV, took an interest into the problem of Antelope Creek Phase religion. Consultation with local historian and Texas
Historical Commission steward Alvin Lynn and archaeologist Dr. Scott Brosowske, who specializes in Antelope Creek Phase culture,
served to expand our interest. As time allows, USAV is currently researching the nature of Antelope Creek Phase religion
in the Texas Panhandle.
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| sherds from trade items, used to date Antelope Creek culture |
For more information on the Antelope Creek Phase villagers
please visit the following sites:
ANTELOPE CREEK PHASE
ANTELOPE CREEK PHASE: ADVANCED PRE-COLUMBIAN CIVILIZATION IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE
ANTELOPE CREEK DEFINED
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