National Register of Historic Places

Edwards Archeological Site

Carter, Beckham County, Oklahoma

Listed

September 18, 1973

Type

Site

Period

Pre Contact

Ref No.

73001554

About this property

The Edwards Archaeological Site is an archaeological site in Beckham County, Oklahoma, near the town of Carter. The site is part of the Edwards Complex, a culture which flourished in this area from about 1400 to 1650. The site was a Native American (Indian) village and included dwellings surrounded by a round fortification. Large amounts of waste material, such as tools and bones, have been collected from the site, indicating prolonged inhabitation by a large group. Pottery fragments and obsidian and turquoise artifacts found at the site suggest that its inhabitants traded with Puebloan peoples. The predecessors in the region of the Edwards site were the Southern Plains villagers who depended upon a mixture of farming and hunting for subsistence. About 1400, the small Southern Plains settlements began to coalesce into larger villages, including the Edwards site, with greater emphasis on bison hunting than agriculture. The inhabitants of the Edwards site were likely Caddoan speaking ancestors of the Wichita people. The people of the Edwards site may have been, or related to, the people that Francisco Coronado called the Teyas when he encountered them in the Texas Panhandle in 1541. They may also have been or related to the people called Escanjaques or Aguacane encountered by Juan de Oñate in northern Oklahoma in 1601. By the onset of the historic period about 1700, the people of the Edwards site were no longer present, possibly having migrated eastward as a result of pressure from the Apache who had expanded their range on the Great Plains. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 19, 1973. To prevent desecration of the site, the exact location is not disclosed.

Location

Carter, Beckham County, Oklahoma

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This page lists Edwards Archeological Site. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview

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The Land

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Geology

The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.

LiDAR Terrain

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Conflict & War

The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.

The Civil War

The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.

The Soldiers

The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.

Native Heritage

The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.

Settlement

Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.

The Community

How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.

Rivers & Rail

The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.

Notable People

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Historical Maps

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Finds & Access

Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.

Literature

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Spotlight

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Points of Interest

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Questions about this property

When was Edwards Archeological Site listed on the National Register?

Edwards Archeological Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 18, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Edwards Archeological Site?

Edwards Archeological Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Edwards Archeological Site?

The period of significance for Edwards Archeological Site is recorded as the pre_contact era, specifically around 1400.

Can I research the history near Edwards Archeological Site?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Edwards Archeological Site will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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