Archaeology The Caddo are thought to be an extension of
Woodland period peoples, the
Fourche Maline and
Mossy Grove cultures, whose members were living in the area of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas areas between 200 BCE and 800 CE. The
Wichita and
Pawnee are also related to the Caddo, since both tribes historically spoke Caddoan languages. By 800 CE, this society had begun to coalesce into the
Caddoan Mississippian culture. Some villages began to gain prominence as ritual centers. Leaders directed the construction of major earthworks known as
platform mounds, which served as temple mounds and platforms for residences of the elite. The flat-topped mounds were arranged around leveled, large, open
plazas, which were usually kept swept clean and were often used for ceremonial occasions. As complex religious and social ideas developed, some people and family lineages gained prominence over others. The
Spiro Mounds, near the
Arkansas River in present-day southeastern Oklahoma, were some of the most elaborate mounds in the United States. They were made by Mississippian ancestors of the historic Caddo and Wichita tribes, in what is considered the westernmost area of the
Mississippian culture. The Caddo were farmers and enjoyed good growing conditions most of the time. The
Piney Woods, the geographic area where they lived, was affected by the
Great Drought from 1276 to 1299 CE, which covered an area extending to present-day California and disrupted many Native American cultures. Archeological evidence has confirmed that the cultural continuity is unbroken from prehistory to the present among these peoples. The Caddoan Mississippian people were the direct ancestors of the historic Caddo people and related Caddo-language speakers, such as the
Pawnee and
Wichita, who encountered the first Europeans, as well as of the modern Caddo Nation of Oklahoma.
Religion , Caddo National Complex, Binger, Oklahoma, 2000: The turkey dance relays Caddo history. The Caddo
creation story, as told in their
oral history, says the tribe emerged from a cave, called Chahkanina or "the place of crying", located at the confluence of the
Red River of the South and
Mississippi River (in northern present-day Louisiana). Their leader, named Moon, instructed the people not to look back. An old Caddo man carried a drum, a pipe, and fire, all of which have continued to be important religious items to the people. His wife carried corn and pumpkin seeds. As people and accompanying animals emerged, the wolf looked back. The exit from the underground closed to the remaining people and animals. The Caddo peoples moved west along the Red River, which they called ''Bah'hatteno
in Caddo. A Caddo woman, Zacado, instructed the tribe in hunting, fishing, building dwellings, and making clothing. Caddo religion focuses on Kadhi háyuh
, translating to "Leader Above" or "Leader in the Sky". In early times, the people were led by priests, including a head priest, the xinesi'', who could commune with spirits residing near Caddo temples.
Territory Centuries before extensive European contact, some of the Caddo territory was invaded by migrating
Dhegihan Siouan–speaking peoples - the
Osage,
Ponca,
Omaha,
Quapaw, and
Kaw. They moved west beginning about 1200 CE after years of warfare with the
Haudenosaunee nations in the
Ohio River area of present-day
Kentucky. The powerful Iroquois took control of hunting grounds in the area. Most of the Caddo historically lived in the Piney Woods ecoregion of the United States, divided among the state regions of East Texas, southern Arkansas, western Louisiana, and southeastern Oklahoma. This region extends up to the foothills of the
Ozarks. The Piney Woods are a dense forest of
deciduous and
pinophytal
flora covering rolling hills, steep river valleys, and intermittent
wetlands called "
bayous". Caddo people primarily settled near the
Caddo River. When they first encountered Europeans and Africans, the Caddo tribes organized themselves in three confederacies:
Natchitoches,
Hasinai, and
Kadohadacho. They were loosely affiliated with other neighboring tribes, including the
Yowani Choctaw. The Natchitoches lived in now northern Louisiana, the Haisinai lived in East Texas, and the Kadohadacho lived near the border of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The Caddo people had a diet based on cultivated crops, particularly maize (corn), but also
sunflower,
pumpkins, and
squash. These foods held cultural significance, as did
wild turkeys. They hunted and gathered wild plants, as well.
Culture The Caddo Native Americans had a culture that consisted of the
hunting and gathering dynamic. The men hunted year round, while the young and healthy women were responsible for the gathering of fruits, seeds, and vegetables for the tribe. Elderly women planted and cultivated the seeds for the season's crop. Gathered items included maize, sunflowers,
beans,
melons, tobacco, and squash during the warm seasons. Acorns and roots were gathered and processed to provide food other than meat in the cold seasons when crops did not grow. The men used handcrafted bows and arrows to hunt animals such as wild turkey,
quail, rabbits, bears, and bison during winters. The Caddo also decorated their bodies. Men favored body modifications and ornamentation such as the painting of skin, jewelry, ear piercing, and hair decorations, like braids, adorned with bird feathers or animal fur. While the women of the tribe wore some jewelry and styled their hair similarly to men, most used the art of tattooing to decorate their bodies. Such tattoos covered most of the body, including the face. ==Post-contact history==