Archaeological Survey of Upper Leon Creek Terraces, Bexar County, Texas

Abstract

In June and July 1994, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) conducted an archaeological survey on a 147-acre tract of land along Leon Creek in northern San Antonio for Pape-Dawson Engineers. The archaeological work was needed for compliance with U. S. Army Corps of Engineers permit requirements before construction of a water storage facility. Four archaeological sites (41BX40, 4IBX47 , 4IBX48, and 4IBX50) had been recorded within this area in 1970 by avocational archaeologists. Additionally, CAR staff members conducted a brief reconnaissance over a 60-acre portion of the property in 1992. Fieldwork consisted of pedestrian survey, 222 shovel tests, one 1-x-1-m test unit, backhoe trenches, plowing, and a geomorphological study by Lee Nordt of Texas A&M University. Evidence from this work suggests that two of the previously recorded sites, 4IBX40 and 4IBX47, are actually part of a single, largely intact, Early and Middle Archaic period site covering approximately 30 acres of the project area. The single site will retain the trinomial 4IBX47. The site contains three components: a Middle Archaic one in the upper 50 cm of the northern part of the site; an Early Archaic component, also in the upper 50 cm, found in the western part of the site; and a component of unknown age buried approximately 80-120 cm below the surface in the central part of the site. A transitional Archaic projectile point was found outside the boundaries of 4IBX47. Further investigation of this site is recommended before construction of the water storage facility. A series of simulated sampling experiments was also conducted with the shovel test data to evaluate the effectiveness of different sampling designs.