Backhoe Trenches Research Articles

Magnetic and Geochemical Variations as Indicators of Palaeoclimate and Archaeological Site Evolution: Examples from 41TR68, Fort Worth, Texas

The River Bend site, 41TR68, is located on the West Fork of the Trinity River near Fort Worth, Texas, in the Upper Trinity River floodplain. A magnetometer survey was performed at this site to identify hearths, and utilizing these data backhoe trenches were placed adjacent to significant magnetic anomalies. Test excavations were then conducted. Several physical properties measurements, including magnetic susceptibility, an indicator of magnetic mineral concentration, calcium carbonate percentages, and percent spectral reflectance in the red colour range were performed on samples from stratigraphic sections adjacent to two excavation units at the site. The data are interpreted in terms of cultural and palaeoclimatic controls during sediment accumulation. Distinctive peaks in all parameters were exhibited by samples associated with hearths and shell concentrations. Broad magnetic susceptibility highs, indicative of high magnetic mineral concentrations, are closely associated with hearths and result from the production of new magnetic minerals by chemical redox reactions during heating. Variations in red spectral reflectance percentages, indicative of hematite mineral concentration, appear to be the result of pedogenesis at the site and therefore are controlled primarily by climate. Susceptibility highs are correlated with reduced hematite concentrations, apparently resulting from the chemical reduction of hematite during heating. Calcium carbonate percentage peaks are indicative of shell debris concentrations from mollusks which were an abundant food source at those times. Superimposed on these peaks are broad variations in calcium carbonate percentages which reflect palaeosol development at the Riverbend Site and suggest the presence of several indistinct palaeosols. While overall variations appear to be the result of palaeoclimate, we interpret the local variations associated with hearths to result from several factors. First, the presence of abundant carbonate and sulphur at the site has resulted in the formation of authigenic iron carbonate and iron sulphide minerals from dissimulatory iron reduction by bacteria during pedogenesis. Second, at low temperatures these iron carbonates and sulphides oxidize to highly magnetic mineral phases, including magnetite and maghemite, thus increasing the observed magnetic susceptibility in samples acquired from the site. And third, at moderate temperatures, produced in sediments surrounding and beneath hearths, the abundant hematite at the site is reduced to maghemite, thus further increasing the magnetic susceptibility in the samples collected.

Recovering the lost landscapes of the Stockton Gardens at Morven, Princeton, New Jersey

A variety of field techniques for the recovery of buried landscapes has been successfully and unsuccessfully used in the Midatlantic. Using examples from Morven, the utility of several are surveyed here. Of particular service was the practice of recording elevations as feet (ft.) above-sea-level readings; it permitted planned variations in garden contours (i.e., terraces, falls, sunken groves, drainage grading) to be observed across wide areas of the site. The system of measurement used in the 18th century, based on Renaissance surveying techniques, and knowledge of its use in designing gardens, enables modern archaeologists to predict where key elements of older landscapes may be found below ground. Other methods discussed include the use of the split spoon auger, the steel T-probe, post hole digger, backhoe trenching, checkerboard excavation, and areal excavation. While none is particularly unique or innovative, using them in combination provides the archaeologist with powerful tools for interpretation of buried historic landscapes.

Exhumation of a Hero, Colonel Ben Milam, Milam Park Renovation, Phase I

During the last part of 1992 and the beginning of 1993, archaeologists from the Center for Archaeological Research of The University of Texas at San Antonio monitored the initial stages of Phase I renovation and construction at Milam Park, New City Block 330. The work for this stage consisted of the removal of portions of an existing wall, ground preparation and leveling in the center of the park, construction of the footing for the new kiosk, and grading for a construction access ramp from Houston Street. Additionally, the excavation of three 4-x-20-ft backhoe trenches was monitored 1 in an attempt to establish the exact location of the grave of the Texas hero for whom the park is named, Col. Benjamin Milam. All work was stopped when evidence of a human burial was discovered. The exhumation, inspection, and temporary curation of the burial believed to be that of Benjamin Milam was subsequently completed under a revision of the existing Texas Antiquities Permit No. 1177.

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

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.

Excavations at Mission San Jose Y San Miguel de Aguayo, San Antonio, Texas

This report details an archaeological study of Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo conducted during the spring and summer of 1993. The study was undertaken by the Center for Archaeological Research of The University of Texas at San Antonio, in accordance with a contract between the National Park Service (owner) and Cox/Croslin and Associates (sponsor). The principal research objective focused on determining the extent of impact the planned visitors' center construction and improvements would have on the mission's Spanish colonial features. Backhoe trenching, shovel testing, and unit excavations were used in the areas to be impacted by the visitors' center. Additionally, shovel testing was conducted on a 50-ft grid within the mission compound to obtain information for future correction of drainage problems. Analyses of ceramics, faunal remains, stratigraphy, and artifact distribution allow inferences concerning diet, temporal contexts, and recognition of intact Colonial deposits. Recommendations are made concerning present and future construction.

Archaeological Testing of 41BX1131 at O.R. Mitchell Dam, Bexar County, Texas

The Center for Archaeological Research contracted with the Simpson Group to conduct testing of 41BXl131, a prehistoric archaeological site located at the base of O. R. Mitchell Dam, on Medio Creek in southwest Bexar County. The purpose of testing was to determine whether or not the site would be impacted by construction of a spillway in the immediate area. A pedestrian survey identified the extent of surface scatter. Subsequent shovel testing and backhoe trenching determined that the site had no depth, and consisted of a surface scatter only.

Data Recovery at Justiceburg Reservior (Lake Alan Henry), Garza and Kent Counties, Texas: Phase III, Season 2

The second of three seasons of Phase III data recovery at Justiceburg Reservoir (Lake Alan Henry), located on the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River in Garza and Kent counties, Texas, was conducted during the summer of 1991. 11le work included survey of dam borrow areas and site recording in and near these construction zones, limited work at selected rock art sites, geological investigation of an upland playa, and intensive investigations at two primarily Protohistoric period archeological sites. Pedestrian survey of active borrow areas resulted in the discovery and emergency recording and evaluation of site 41GR606 at the mouth of Grape Creek. Although this site is unusual because of its high frequency of ground stone tools, it lacks temporaIly diagnostic artifacts or datable organic materials and has an extremely low artifact density. In addition, site 4lKTl61 was discovered because of recent erosion along Grape Creek. This site also lacks diagnostic or datable materials and is characterized by a low artifact density. Due to their low research potentials, no further work was recommended for either of these sites, and they are considered ineligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Investigations at the rock art sites included the salvage of pictograph pigments from sites 41GR423, 41GR426, and 41GR437, which will !>e destroyed by inundation. These samples have been submitted for extraction of organic components and radiocarbon dating, but the results are not yet available. In addition, a consultant visited selected rock art sites in the project area and proposed preservation alternatives for several sites that will not be impacted directly by construction or inundation. Geological investigation of Morgan Playa, a smaIl upland playa located approximately 3 km north of the Double Mountain Fork, included excavation of a 2.5-m-deep backhoe trench from which a series of stratified sediment samples were taken for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. A single radiocarbon date indicates ·that the playa sediments probably accumulated from approximately 9000 B.P. to the present. Fossil poIlen was found to be poorly preserved, and the resulting data are uninterpretable. But opal phytoliths appear to document a sequence of changing grassland environments. Although more dates are needed to refine the chronology, the phytolith data are interpreted as evidence of Holocene climatic changes which generally correspond with regional paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Archeological investigations at the Headstream (41KT51) and Longhorn (41KT53) sites revealed evidence of chiefly Protohistoric period occupations by nomadic hunter-gatherers who were heavily involved in trade with the New Mexico pueblos. The archeological investigations at these sites have significant implications for understanding seventeenth-century settlement patterns in the Texas South Plains. Both sites are interpreted as residential base camps with multiple occupation episodes, which date mainly to the seventeenth century. The sites probably were inhabited by bison-hunting peoples during nonhunting seasons, and at least three tipi structures may be represented at the Longh0!J1 Site. Activities suggested for these sites include the staged processing of hides and maintenance of hide-processing tools, intensive utilization of wild plant foods, and extensive use of ceramics for cooking and storage. A petrographic analysis of the ceramic assemblages indicates that the majority of the wares are Puebloan in origin and that Pecos Pueblo was the major source, with other wares coming from the Tewa pueblos of the northern Rio Grande and perhaps the Taos/picuris region and the southern Salinas district. Of particular interest is the interpretation that almost all of the plainwares may he from the same Puebloan sources as the decorated glazewares and that the inhabitants of the sites did not make much, if any, of their own pottery.

Preliminary Cultural Resources Investigations for the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, Hidalgo County, Texas

Archeological, archival, and geomorphologic investigations were conducted for the proposed Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge Project in Hidalgo County, Texas, by Prewitt and Associates, Inc. from October 12-27, 1992. The purposes of these investigations were to locate and record any cultural resources within the project area, determine their eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and designation as State Archeological Landmarks, and to provide an overview of the Holocene geomorphic history of the project area. The geomorphic history of the project area suggests that the Rio Grande has experienced continuous channel aggradation from the end of the Pleistocene to ca. 1000 B.P. Climatic changes and diminishing sediment loads led to channel incision around 1000 B.P., forming a low late Holocene terrace and resulting in increased sinuosity and a decreased channel width-to-depth ratio. The investigations included a stratified sample survey of approximately 162 hectares (400 acres) and the excavation of 16 backhoe trenches and 14 shovel tests. A total of 10 sites, consisting of 10 historic and 2 prehistoric components, were documented. Six standing architectural properties, each consisting of a structure or groups of structures, also were documented. Four of the sites (41HG153, 41HG155, 41HG156, and 41HG158) are considered to be potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and for designation as State Archeological Landmarks. Two of the architectural properties - the Carmichael and Sorenson farmsteads - also may be eligible for listing on the National Register. The four potentially eligible sites consist of four historic and two prehistoric components. The historic components date from the Texas Republic period to the early twentieth century, representing the establishment and development of the EI Capote Ranch community. The two prehistoric components (41HG153 and 41HG158), of which only 41HG153 is potentially eligible, represent Late Prehistoric and unknown prehistoric components, respectively.

Property Ownership and Monitoring for the Modification of Martin and Bowie Streets, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

In February 1987, the Center for Archaeological Research at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted archival research to determine the historic significance of structures in New City Block 552 in downtown San Antonio. One structure, the Gallagher building, proved worthy of preservation. The Center then monitored the demolition of the other standing structures in the area of Martin and Bowie Streets. Limited backhoe trenching was conducted to locate the Acequia Madre, which proved to be outside the property limits. Later, monitoring to the north revealed its location farther to the west.

Hunter‐gatherers in the nashville basin: Archaeological and geological evidence for variability in prehistoric land use

AbstractResults of intensive archaeological surveys conducted within two environmentally contrastive settings in the Nashville Basin of Tennessee demonstrate that prehistoric human activity was much more extensive in the inner Basin where the Duck River floodplain was flanked by patchy upland vegetation relative to the outer Basin where upland vegetation was more homogeneous. Vertebrate remains from caves and rockshelters show that the inner Basin supported such patchy upland vegetation throughout the known period of hunter‐gatherer occupation of the area. There is close correspondance between periods when forest openings were most prevalent (i.e., Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene and Mid‐Holocene) and times when prehistoric human occupation of the inner Basin was most intensive (Paleoindian and Middle Archaic). Comparisons of major artifact categories from systematic collections of various landform surfaces show that the T2 terrace was the most extensively utilized by prehistoric hunter‐gatherers. the T3/valley slope, the uplands, and the T1 produced progressively lower artifact densities. Results of systematic backhoe trenching indicate that substantial Holocene aggradation accounts for the seemingly minor use of the T1.

Jackson Lake Archaelogical Project

The Jackson Lake Archaeological Project completed its 5th and final field season in late October, 1988. While the current drought caused many problems, the lowered water levels in Jackson Lake allowed more archaeological work to be accomplished than imagined at the inception of the project in 1984. Funded by the Bureau of Reclamation, the work was completed by crews from the Midwest Archaeological Center of the National Park Service. During the project, 109 archaeological sites were recorded. This is the highest density of sites in any area in the Grand Teton-Yellowstone area and is presently reshaping the thinking of archaeologists about the importance of this area in prehistoric times. The materials found range in time from Paleo-Indian materials (ca. 11,000 - 9,000 years before present) to a historic trapper/hunter cabin (ca. A.D. 1875-1910). Much of the prehistoric material is badly disturbed by wave action due to the reservoir. However, survey, testing, and excavation by the Park Service crews, study of the landforms by U.S. Geological Survey geologist Dr. Ken Pierce, and backhoe trenching by the University of Wyoming succeeded in defining a significant amount of information.

Archaeological Investigations at the Navarro Street Parking Garage, San Antonio, Texas

In March 1987, the Center for Archaeological Research of The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted test excavations on Lot 1 of New City Block 125 in downtown San Antonio. The purpose of the excavations was to determine if any remains of foundations or artifactual deposits were still intact beneath the surface, in preparation for the construction of an addition to a parking garage. A search was also made for remains of the Concepcion Acequia that once formed the western boundary of the lot. Three backhoe trenches ranging from 42 to 90 feet in length and from 26 to 88 inches in depth determined that while the foundation of a two-story brick commercial building appeared to be intact, none of the original ground surface was undisturbed, and no historic features would have been preserved. No confident identification could be made of the acequia because of numerous later disturbances in the area.

Paleorivers and geoarchaeology in the southern Egyptian Sahara

AbstractInterpretation of Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR) images acquired during the November 1981 flight of Columbia led to the idea that a paleodrainage system of regional and perhaps transcontinental proportions crossed southern Egypt and northern Sudan prior to the onset of Quaternary aridity. Three seasons of field investigations in two locales (Wadi Arid and Wadi Safsaf, some 70‐80 km apart) near the Sudan border of southern Egypt confirmed initial interpretations of the radar images and produced geologic evidence of fluvial deposition in broad “radar river” valleys (designated RR‐1) whose presence is now obscured by eolian sand sheets. Development of an integrated, regional river system probably occurred in the late Paleogene or early Neogene. the river courses eventually were disrupted by tectonism, volcanism, and stream piracy. Their broad valleys were almost fully aggraded long before the middle Pleistocene appearance of man in the area. Some of the large paleovalleys on the radar images contain narrow (0.05‐2.0 km wide), braided inset channels (designated RR‐2). the RR‐2 channels, we believe, represent the last episodes of running water in the valleys during the Quaternary pluvials.In Wadi Arid (the type area for the RR‐1 valleys) 36 backhoe trenches and manual excavations yielded Acheulian handaxes, flakes, and cores from nearshore alluvial sediments and surface and shallow subsurface locales. These assemblages are typologically Middle to Late Acheulian and date from ca. 0.15th 0.5 million years ago. the unabraded, unrolled, buried artifacts and their geological contexts indicate that human groups were widely present in a subhumid riparian environment along the edges of the ancient valleys, while these localities were undergoing episodic, local aggradation. Scarce Middle Paleolithic and abundant Neolithic assemblages are widespread along the edges of Wadi Arid and bordering interfluves.In Wadi Safsaf, another broad RR‐1 valley, geologic evidence from 20 backhoe excavations demonstrates that an RR‐2 channel complex is inset into the alluvial fill in the central part of the valley. No artifacts were found in the alluvium excavated there, but Late Acheulian, Middle Paleolithic, and Neolithic surface assemblages are present nearby. Stratigraphic relations indicate the RR‐2 channels are late Pleistocene in age; they were already fully aggraded and their surfaces deflated before an eolian sand sheet of Holocene age was deposited on them. Bir Safsaf, on the northern edge of Wadi Safsaf, was a magnet for Late Acheulian populations, and the paleovalley just south of the bir is bordered with extensive alignments of artifacts, mainly handaxes. Some of these handaxes were found in situ, embedded in alluvial sediments, while others appear to have been exposed on the surface by deflation of the valley fill.The accumulated data support a provisional archaeo‐geochronological framework for the last half‐million years in the Wadi Arid‐Wadi Safsaf area. This framework provides a new geomorphic explanation for the widespread distribution of buried and exposed Middle Acheulian and Late Acheulian assemblages. the interpretation emphasizes the importance of exploring the non‐oasis zones for their archaeological and geochronological potential. Although our research has literally only scratched the surface, it demonstrates the potential of radar imaging for defining ancient drainage patterns in arid regions and their associated habitats for human occupation.

Overburden geochemistry related to W-Cu-Mo mineralization at Sisson Brook, New Brunswick, Canada: An example of short- and long-distance glacial dispersal

In 1982 and 1983 a surficial geology and overburden geochemistry survey was carried out on the Sisson Brook Mining Licence in York County, about 55 km northwest of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. On the Sisson Brook Mining Licence three zones of W-Mo-Cu mineralization have been outlined; Zones I and II contain mainly wolframite with chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite, whereas Zone III has mainly scheelite and molybdenite. The glacial history of the area was studied during 1982 and 1983 to provide a framework for interpreting the geochemical results. Ice movement varied from 160° ± 10° towards the south during the Main Bantalor phase (maximum ≈ 13,500 y.B.P.) to 130° ± 10° toward the southeast during the Late Bantalor phase. Rapid changes in dominant pebble lithologies occur immediately upon crossing bedrock contacts. This suggests a very short distance of transport on the property. The glacier, butted against the Nashwaak Ridge, quickly sheared bedrock debris up into the body of the ice by compressive flow. Upon melting, some of this debris was deposited a short distance from source. Some debris appears to have been sheared up higher into the ice sheet, transported over the Nashwaak Ridge, and deposited approximately 8 km down-ice with no interconnecting dispersal train. In 1982, a geochemical orientation survey was carried out to determine which element(s) and sample medium could best and most economically be used in the search for W-Mo-Cu mineralization. Within the property area, both whole till <2000 μm (−10 mesh) samples and heavy mineral concentrates clearly defined the zones of mineralization (W, Mo, Cu) and associated geochemical dispersal trains (W, Mo, Cu, As, F). In later work, samples were not analyzed for As and F because this provided no additional information. The geochemical contrast between values in whole till samples derived from subcropping mineralization and those derived from barren bedrock is adequate to outline mineralization. Geochemical analysis of the whole till was used in later work because the sample preparation costs are considerably lower than those for heavy-mineral concentrates. Soils were not used because trace element patterns were diffuse, with the highest values occurring at variable distances down-ice from mineralization. In 1983, the objective was to better define glacial dispersal from the known mineralization and to explore for additional mineralization. Data from this program indicates a W dispersal train in whole till samples 300–400 m long. Tungsten values up to 1400 ppm and Mo values up to 260 ppm in whole till occur immediately down-ice from the main subcropping W-Mo mineralization. The element associations (i.e. W-Mo-Cu and W-Mo) in the till reflect the elemental composition of the source mineralization (i.e. Zones I and II and Zone III). Backhoe trenching is a useful and cost-effective technique to expose Quaternary sediments. Examination of the overburden sections provides an understanding of the glacial history which aids in tracing geochemical dispersal trains up-ice to bedrock source.

Archaeological Investigations at The United States Arsenal Site (41 BX 622), San Antonio, Texas

Test excavations were carried out at two locations on the grounds of the old U.S. Arsenal in aowntown San Antonio, Texas, in December 1983. Backhoe trenching at the north end of the site revealed no indication of the location of an acequia lateral suspected to run through the area. Test excavations at the south end of the stone stable building found no indication of the location of a stairway which is presumed to have led to a second story doorway in the wall of the building. Historical research resulted in production of a history of the Arsenal from the time of its founding to the present.

Archaeological Testing of Historic Sites to be Affected by Construction of IH 410 Through the San Antonio Missions National Park City of San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

The State Department of Highways and Public Transportation plans to add access lanes along segments of Loop 410 (IH 410) in the City of San Antonio, Texas. The project traverses the acequia systems of Missions San Francisco de la Espada and San Juan Capistrano and also is adjacent to an historic site, 41BX252, which is the possible location of some historical structures. Backhoe trenching and hand excavation, conducted December 8 and 9, 1986, produced no nineteenth century or Spanish Colonial materials, and also revealed that the segments of the acequias and desagues (laterals) within the project right-of-way had been disturbed by previous highway construction to the extent that they do not meet eligibility requirements for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places nor designation as State Archeological Landmarks. No further work is recommended on this project.

Giant Desiccation Cracks and Differential Surface Subsidence, Red Lake Playa, Mohave County, Arizona

Earth fissures in the vicinity of Red Lake playa were mapped in detail using large scale aerial photography, on-the-ground field inspection and exploratory backhoe trenching. A system of healed ring fissures identified on the southern half of the playa reflects a zone of local subsidence which may have resulted from flowage within an underlying salt deposit. A wide-spread system of giant polygonal cracks records the massive desiccation that began at the close of the latest pluvial period. Approximately 2 linear miles (3.2 km) of new fissuring which formed in the latter part of 1981 might have been caused by an aquifer test, though a secular decline in ground-water level cannot be ruled out. At least three of the four recently fissured areas formed over a buried ridge on top of the salt body, and the gross pattern of fissuring might be structurally controlled by rheological displacements within the salt. The principal adverse effects of the earth fissuring are the potential damage and disruption to engineered structures such as pavements, pipelines, canals, and foundations. Fissures encountered in underground excavations might act as zones of incompetent material or seepage routes. The engineering problems associated with fissuring in the Red Lake area will be exacerbated if major industrial development with attendant ground-water mining takes place in the area.

Archaeological Investigations of a Shell Midden (41HR39) at De Zavala Point, Harris County, Texas

Archaeological investigations at site 41 HR 39 on De Zavala Point in Channelview, Harris County, Texas, were conducted by personnel from the Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio from December 16 through December 22, 1984. The site is recorded as an aboriginal shell midden with a historic component which will be impacted by the proposed disposal of dredged materials under the Department of the Army Permit Application No. 17151, during industrial development of the area. The field investigations were conducted for the Department of the Army, Galveston District, Corps of Engineers, to determine the eligibility of the site for recommendation for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Field work at site 41 HR 39 involved excavating nine shovel tests, two 1-m2 controlled test units, five backhoe test pits, and five backhoe trenches, mapping and photographing the site, and gathering artifacts exposed by wave action along the bluff which marks the northern and eastern limits of the site. Analysis of the site stratigraphy and cultural materials indicates that the site contains a stratum of Rangia cuneata shell with prehistoric and historic materials in a dark, sandy clay loam matrix. The shell midden stratum overlies a sterile clay matrix. Most, if not all, of the site appears to have been disturbed by bioturbation, erosion, historic dredging, and other historic occupation and utilization of the site area. The research potential of the remaining historic component and the aboriginal shell stratum at 41 HR 39 appears to be low. The site is therefore recommended to be not eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Panther Springs Creek Site: Cultural Change and Continuity within the Upper Salado Creek Watershed, South-Central Texas

The excavations and subsequent analysis of the Panther Creek Springs site, 41BX228, a multicomponent prehistoric open occupation site in south-central Texas, are documented in this report. The investigations at 41BX228 partially mitigate the loss of cultural information caused by looters and potentially by a proposed Soil Conservation Service flood control project. The field investigations carried out in 1979 included mapping, testing, backhoe trenching, and the excavation of several block areas. Large quantities of comparatively well-preserved cultural materials were recovered and analyzed including: lithic, ceramic, and bone artifacts as well as faunal and botanical remains. Major aspects of the analysis and of this report include: descriptive, typological, and distributional studies of certain types of artifacts; the special studies of faunal, botanical, and soil samples; a study of the burned rock midden phenomena; an examination of the settlement pattern in the upper Salado Creek drainage, and a synthesis emphasizing cultural change and continuity through time in the local cultural manifestations as reflected by the site deposits. The Panther Springs Creek site represents a favored campsite repeatedly revisited over thousands of years by hunting and gathering peoples attracted by the availability of crucial resources, such as water, plants, animals, and lithic materials. The site served many functions including that of: a campsite, a lithic procurement area, a flintknapping station, a tool refitting station, a hunting station, a tool refitting station, a butchering station, a plant processing station, a hunting camp, a gathering camp, and perhaps a social gathering locality. The major problem in interpreting this site is that all of these activities were repeated countless times in an area that had very slow sediment accumulation. Thus, many details of 41BX228’s long history of prehistoric occupation will never be unraveled.

Archaeological Testing of Proposed Sewer Line Location at Mission San Jose

In April 1984 archaeologists from the Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, excavated a backhoe trench outside the west wall of Mission San Jos~. The purpose of the investigation ~as to determine if a proposed sewer line for the San Antonio 201 Wastewater Facil ities Improvements Project woul d affect any major historic or prehistoric resources. A stone-l ined well was found that was constructed sometime after the secul arization of the mission in 1893 and continued in use, fi rst as a well and 1 ater as a pri vy pit, unti 1 ca. 1940. Because of the likelihood of stratified deposits of 19th-century artifacts within the well fill, the site is recommended for archaeological excavation.