Panhandle culture
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| Geographical range | Southern High Plains primarily Oklahoma, Texas |
|---|---|
| Period | Middle Ceramic Period |
| Dates | AD 1200–1400 |
| Preceded by | Woodland period |
Panhandle culture is a prehistoric culture of the southern High Plains during the Middle Ceramic Period from AD 1200 to 1400. Panhandle sites are primarily in the panhandle and west central Oklahoma and the northern half of the Texas panhandle.[1]
The culture was likely an outgrowth of the Woodland phase or a migration of people from north-central Kansas.[2]
Antelope Creek focus is the primary, and to some the only, cultural tradition of the panhandle culture. The Optima focus was defined for sites in west central Oklahoma, but after further study, these sites were defined as Antelope Creek focus. In 1975 Robert G. Campbell defined the Apishapa culture of southeastern Colorado's Chaquaqua Plateau as a panhandle culture, which is disputed by other noted archaeologists.[1] The panhandle and other cultures of the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles are sometime grouped together in the Upper Canark variant within a broader range of cultures called the Southern Plains villagers.[2]
Difficulty defining panhandle culture
Several contributing factors have made it difficult to define the panhandle culture, such as discrepancies in reporting carbon dating of artifacts, variations in interpretation of dating information, spotty information, and a lack of published material about the panhandle culture.[1]