Dhegiha Origins and Plains Archaeology

A number of Plains archaeological studies address the idea that Dhegihan origins are from archaeological complexes found in the four state area comprised of southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri, northwest Arkansas, and northeast Oklahoma. This study first assesses those arguments using both the archaeological and historical records. The last part of the study discusses the implications of such arguments for Dhegihan material and nonmaterial culture. It is concluded that Dhegihan societies have proven hard to trace archaeologically because they were likely very late in arriving on the Plains. Dhegihan origins are more likely to lie in Oneota or the disintegration of Mississippian tradition societies.