Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
They roamed across the great plains in small bands. Although most groups numbered less than a handful, they became experts at hunting the massive straight-horned Buffalo that dominated the region. Their life was primitive and nomadic, following where the great herds led them. Despite that, they were a highly intelligent people.
They had not quite mastered the skill of agriculture, that would come much later. For now they existed by hunting buffalo, mammoth, giant sloths, and other long extinct game animals. Materials for the weapons and tools they used have been found from present-day Kansas down to the gulf of Texas.
One of their earliest sites was found, by accident, in Northwest Oklahoma. Known as the Cooper Site, it is a brilliant example of how the Folsom people hunted. It was discovered on April 5, 1993 by Leland Bement and another worker from the state archeological survey. They knew of a mass buffalo hunting site there but what they discovered that day would amaze them.
As they were headed to the top of the bluff, they found some of the old buffalo bones had been disturbed. There, in the middle of the bones, they saw the tip of an ancient spear sticking out. After close examination, it was determined that they would need a full team to understand the site.
They tried many times afterwards to examine the site but it almost seemed like it was cursed. Oklahoma’s weather assaulted them as the site was blasted by a tornado then drenching rains and hail. Eventually they were able to complete their survey.
Sometime back around 8,000 b.c. the Folsom people learned how to drive the massive buffalo into a deep gully where they would slaughter them, ensuring they had food and supplies for the rest of the year. They found remains of around thirty of the beasts in three separate locations, showing this had been happening for awhile.
Besides the tools, one of the most important artifacts that was found was a buffalo skull that had a picture resembling a lightning bolt painted on it. This item was now the oldest painted artifact found in North America.
The Cooper site helped explain more of the daily life of the Folsom people. Before the discovery, not much was known. Archeologists are still studying the site and it is still provide more clues to these ancient peoples.
The Folsom people visited the site frequently for at least fifteen years. It was considered very holy and quite possibly contributed towards the settling of early Oklahoma. For a primitive people, archeologists are now showing us that they were much more advanced than previously thought.
© 2026 | Eric Standridge
