Horses (Part 3) The Pawnee, the Plains, and the Spanish Caribbean with Dr. Carlton Shield Chief Gover - Ep 26

In this third installment of the “Horse Series,” David sits down with Dr. Carlton Shield Chief Gover to explore the intersections of Indigenous oral traditions, radiocarbon dating, and the archaeology of horses across the Great Plains and the Caribbean.

Carlton shares how Pawnee oral traditions align with archaeological evidence, revealing new insights into the transitions from hunter-gatherer to agricultural societies. The conversation expands into how the reintroduction of horses revolutionized Plains warfare, movement, and culture — transforming not just how people traveled, but how they defined bravery, honor, and trade.

The episode then dives underwater — literally — as Carlton recounts his work with the Indiana University Underwater Science Program in the Dominican Republic. From Spanish shipwrecks to 400-year-old hazelnuts used to fight scurvy, the discussion highlights how horses, colonization, and trade converged across continents and oceans.

Topics Covered

• Introduction to Carlton Shield Chief Gover’s background and Pawnee heritage
• Merging radiocarbon dating with Indigenous oral histories
• The importance of corn, maize agriculture, and Plains village life
• How the horse transformed Indigenous cultures and warfare
• The practice of “counting coup” and individual honor in combat
• The spread of horses before European contact
• Carlton’s archaeological work in Ukraine and comparisons to the Great Plains
• Underwater archaeology in the Dominican Republic
• Spanish shipwrecks, horseshoes, and gold-gilded stirrups
• Hazelnuts as a 16th-century Spanish cure for scurvy
• Dangers and logistics of underwater fieldwork
• How early Caribbean horses may connect genetically to modern mustangs
• The future of Plains and underwater archaeology

About the Guest

Dr. Carlton Shield Chief Gover is a citizen of the Pawnee Nation and a leading voice in Indigenous and Plains archaeology. His research integrates oral histories, Bayesian radiocarbon analysis, and archaeological evidence to create a fuller understanding of the Great Plains’ deep past. He currently serves as Assistant Professor and Curator of Archaeology at the University of Kansas and hosts The Great Plains Archaeology Podcast.

Follow Carlton on Instagram
Listen to The Great Plains Archaeology Podcast

Mentioned in This Episode

• Hoof Beats: The Horse in Human History — Dr. William Taylor
• Cassidy Thornhill’s work on the Blacks Fork Horse
• Yvette and Paulette Steeves’ research on pre-contact horses
• Indiana University Underwater Science Program (Dr. Charles Beeker)
• University of Kansas Natural History Museum

Key Quote

“When you reanalyze radiocarbon data with Indigenous oral traditions, you actually illustrate a much more holistic picture of human history.” — Dr. Carlton Shield Chief Gover

Transcripts

For a rough transcript head over to: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/ethnocynology/26

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