Landergin Mesa, near Vega, Texas, is an archeological site, preserving some of the most significant Texas Panhandle culture ruins. Landergin Mesa is a large site with many isolated structures, it is important because of the unique artifacts dating to the Antelope Creek Phase. There are well preserved examples of Borger Cordmarked ceramic vessels from the period. The site also exhibits unique architecture indicative of the Antelope Creek Phase.

Landergin Mesa
LocationAddress restricted[2]
Nearest cityVega, Texas
Built1300 (1300)
NRHP reference No.66000821[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966
Designated NHLJuly 19, 1964[3]

Landergin Mesa is a mesa in Oldham County, Texas, in the watershed of the Canadian River. The mesa, relatively modest in scale, rising about 180 feet (55 m) above the valley floor, and has relatively steep sides, features which would have provided a highly defensible position with views across the surrounding countryside.[4] The top layer of the mesa is a thick sandstone, with a sheer drop around much of the mesa's circumference. The mesa's usable surface is covered by a large building remnant with many chambers. An area outside the structure is littered with evidence of domestic occupation, including manos and pottery remains. The site has regularly been subjected to archaeological vandalism by pothunters. The areas in the valley below the mesa, and other nearby landforms, also exhibit evidence of prehistoric human habitation. Radiocarbon dating places the period of occupation around 1300 CE.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Federal and state laws and practices restrict general public access to information regarding the specific location of this resource. In some cases, this is to protect archeological sites from vandalism, while in other cases it is restricted at the request of the owner. See: Knoerl, John; Miller, Diane; Shrimpton, Rebecca H. (1990), Guidelines for Restricting Information about Historic and Prehistoric Resources, National Register Bulletin, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, OCLC 20706997.
  3. ^ Staff (June 2011). "National Historic Landmarks Survey: List of National Historic Landmarks by State (Texas)" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved October 24, 2016..
  4. ^ Smith Jr., Griffin (August 1975). "Forgotten Places". Texas Monthly: 71. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  5. ^ University Of Texas At Austin. Division Of Natural Resources And The Environment (1975). "Canadian Breaks: A Natural Area Survey, Part VII of VIII". University of Texas at Austin: 80–100. doi:10.26153/tsw/5000. Retrieved January 9, 2018. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

Additional source

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Meier, Holly A. (Fall 2007). "TAS Donors Fund Research—Antelope Creek Phase Ceramics" (PDF). Texas Archeology. 51 (4). Texas Archeological Society: 17–18. Retrieved September 22, 2017.