Technical Series

Table of Contents

Click on number to see the abstract and ordering information for each publication.

TARL Publication Order Form (as a PDF file, requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Abstracts

1

Kotter, Steven M.

1988 Cultural Resource Survey and Assessment of the TNP-One Twin Oak 345 KV Transmission Corridor, Robertson County, Texas
Sponsored by Sargent & Lundy, Texas-New Mexico Power Co.

During June and July, 1986, personnel from the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, conducted a survey and preliminary assessment of cultural resources of the major portion of a 14.5 mile corridor in northern Robertson County, Texas for Sargent & Lundy Engineers,  agents for Texas-New Mexico Power Company. Between November 1986 and January 1987, three alternate routes, totaling about 15 additional miles of corridor, were surveyed. The four corridors were various options for the construction of a transmission line connecting the proposed TNP-ONE generating plant with the Twin Oaks substation. The 29 archeological and architectural sites investigated. 41RT10, 41RT107, and 41RT125, and the series 41RT327 through 41RT345, 41RT354, 41RT355 and 41RT357 through 41RT361, represent 21 prehistoric and 11 historic components. Twenty-six of the sites are within the Walnut Creek Basin, a tributary to the Brazos River and three are within the Navasota River Basin. Approximately half of the prehistoric sites, predominantly small hunting camps, hold some potential for significant deposits. The historic sites are all rural farmsteads but one house is extant. Further documentation is recommended at this and two additional historic sites if they are to be affected by construction. In most instances, potentially significant cultural resources can be preserved by alignment of the actual right-of-way within the much wider surveyed corridor.

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2

Bement, Leland C.

1988 Cultural Resource Survey of the Proposed Gilleland Creek Wastewater Interceptor Corridor, Travis County, Texas
Sponsored by Bernard Johnson, Inc., City of Austin

Under contract to Bernard Johnson Incorporated, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, conducted a cultural resources survey along the route of the City of Austin's proposed Gilleland Creek Wastewater Interceptor route, Travis County, Texas in compliance with the terms of Antiquities Permit No. 659. An intensive pedestrian survey of a 500-foot wide corridor along the proposed route resulted in the recording of five prehistoric sites, one prehistoric site with a historic component, and one historic site.  Sites were located in floodplain, floodplains margin and valley margin settings. Three prehistoric sites (41TV1365, 41TV1369 and 41TV1371) have been recommended for further investigation in the form of subsurface testing if the corridor cannot be rerouted to avoid disturbing the buried deposits.

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3

Robinson, David G.

1988 Cultural Resource Survey and Assessment of the Extended Kingsville Dome Lease, Kleberg County, Texas
Sponsored by URI, Inc.

During February and April 1988, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, conducted a cultural resource survey of the URI Kingsville Dome extended uranium lease in Kleberg County, Texas. The county is part of the lower coastal cultural and geographic zone. An addition to an original lease surveyed for cultural resources in 1983 by The University of Texas at Austin, the extended lease covers about 1,929 acres and will become part of a percolation method uranium mine. A cultural resource survey was required for compliance with the Texas Radiation Control Act as set forth by the Bureau of Radiation Control and implemented by the Texas Department of Health. The cultural resource survey was designed to meet these regulatory requirements and to conform to criteria and guidelines set forth by the Texas Historical Commission for intensive survey. The entire extended lease was intensively surveyed, and one site, 41KL77, was found. This, plus the lack of sites in the extensive flat uplands away from the creeks, follows site-settlement expectations for the region. These results are understandable due to the prospect's predominant physiographic location away from the prehistoric settlement concentration on creek terraces, tidal flats, and bay shore ecozones. Avoidance of site 41KL77 is feasible and is recommended as an alternative to limited testing of the site deposits.

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4

Bement, Leland C.

1988 Cultural Resource Survey of the Proposed Austrop to Sprinkle Transmission Line Corridor, Travis County, Texas
Sponsored by Dames and Moore, City of Austin

The City of Austin planned to build a 345-KV transmission line around the city to transfer power from various plants and substations to rapidly growing segments of the population. Under the terms of Antiquities Permit No. 629, issued to the City, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, surveyed various segments of Circuits 3126, 974, 975 and three potential substation sites under contract to the City and their agent, Dames and Moore. Seventeen prehistoric and two historic sites were recorded and site 41TV152 reevaluated before the City abandoned their construction plans. Avoidance of 41TV1309, the historic Brown Cemetery, and a cistern at the Frick site, 41TV1329, coupled with testing of prehistoric sites 41TV152 and 41TV1331 are recommended if transmission line or other construction is anticipated in those areas. Pending additional testing, only site 41TV152 merits consideration for State Archeological Landmark status if the City pursues purchase of the right-of-way.

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5

Powell, Joseph F., and Darrell G. Creel

1989 Cultural Resources in the Proposed Peacekeeper Rail Garrison Facilities, Dyess Air Force Base, Taylor County, Texas
Sponsored by Tetra Tech, Inc. for U.S. Air Force

Under contract to Tetra Tech, Inc., the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, conducted a cultural resources survey of areas included in the proposed Peacekeeper Rail Garrison base facilities at Dyess Air Force Base, Taylor County, Texas. The result of an intensive pedestrian survey of on-base and off-base properties was the recording of four prehistoric and three historic components at a total of six sites. One prehistoric site, 41TA150, was tested and found to be disturbed by drainage rechanneling. None of the sites were recommended for further testing or mitigation.

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6

Bement, Leland C.

1988 Cultural Resource Survey of the Romberg Tract of Windy Point Park, Travis County, Texas
Sponsored by Travis County Parks and Recreation Dept.

Under the auspices of Texas Antiquities Permit 702, issued to the Travis County Parks and Recreation Department, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, conducted a pedestrian survey of the 176 acre Romberg tract of Windy Point, Travis County, Texas. The survey resulted in the recording of three prehistoric sites, one late nineteenth-century tenant farmstead, and a reevaluation of 41TV78, a prehistoric lithic scatter. Site 41TV1386, a small site with two disturbed burned rock middens, and the historic rock walls of 41TV1388 are recommended for avoidance and protection from park development and post-development disturbance. The other sites, 41TV1385, 41TV1387 and 41TV78 are too highly disturbed to warrant additional investigation.

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7

Bement, Leland C., and Yorke M. Rowan

1988 Intensive Survey and Limited Site Testing in the Extended West Cole Uranium Mine, Webb County, Texas
Sponsored by Total Minerals Corporation

In March 1988, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, conducted a cultural resource survey of the proposed 1200-acre extension of the West Cole Uranium Project, Webb County, Texas for Total Minerals Corporation and their agents, Eggleston Holmes and Associates. The intensive pedestrian survey, augmented by shovel tests, identified eight prehistoric sites and six isolated finds. One site, 41WB101, an open campsite was tested to determine its eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places. Extreme modern disturbances have so disrupted the site deposits that no further action can be justified.

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8

Ellis, W. Bruce, and Cathy Dodt-Ellis

1988 Cultural Resource Survey and Assessment of the El Mesquite Southeast and O'Hern Prospects, Duval and Webb Counties, Texas
Sponsored by Malapai Resources Co.

In May 1988, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin conducted an archeological resources survey and assessment of approximately 1,880 acres within the El Mesquite Southeast Project (ESEP) and O'Hern leases in Duval and Webb counties, Texas Malapai Resources Company. The remains of 14 prehistoric sites and 1 currently occupied historic site were identified during the project. The one historic and eleven of the prehistoric sites (41DV44 through 41DV55) were located on the ESEP lease. The remaining three prehistoric sites (41WB106 through 41WB108) were located on the O'Hern lease. Temporally diagnostic artifacts indicated occupations during the Archaic to Late Prehistoric periods. The prehistoric sites were found on creek terraces and upland locations. Both lease areas have been subjected to surface and subsurface disturbance prior to this project's survey. The disturbance is widespread and has reduced prehistoric site locales to deflated surface artifact scatters with subsurface materials in mixed contexts. Given these assessments, the cultural resources located during this project are considered ineligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Special protective or mitigative measures are neither warranted nor recommended for these sites.

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9

Ellis, W. Bruce, and Cathy Dodt-Ellis

1988 A Cultural Resource Survey and Assessment of the Proposed Vasquez Prospect, Duval County, Texas
Sponsored by URI, Inc.

In June 1988, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin conducted an archeological resource survey and assessment of approximately 450 acres within the Vasquez lease for URI, Inc. of Dallas, Texas. The remains of three prehistoric and one multiple component site (41DV56 through 41DV59) were identified during the project. Temporally diagnostic artifacts indicate occupations during the Archaic and Late Prehistoric periods. The prehistoric sites were situated in upland locations. The lease areas had been subjected to surface and subsurface disturbance prior to the time of this project's survey. The disturbance is widespread and has reduced the site locales to deflated surface scatters of cultural materials in mixed contents. Given these assessments, the cultural resources located during this project are considered ineligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Special protective or mitigative measures are neither warranted nor recommended.

Ordering Information: Available (vi + 32 pp., map, illustrations) $2.00, Wt.: 4.5 ozs.

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10

Ellis, W. Bruce

1988 Limited Testing of 41BT226 and 41BT227, Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery, Burnet County, Texas
Sponsored by Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery

During the period June 27 to June 30, 1988, two previously unrecorded sites to be affected by the construction of a water supply pipeline for the Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery were investigated by personnel from the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin. The two sites, 41BT226 and 41BT227, were subjected to formal site recording procedures and limited test excavations. The results of these investigations suggest that the sites were occupied during the Late Archaic and Late Prehistoric (and possibly earlier) periods. Both sites have been heavily disturbed by historic activities and have little potential for yielding further data of significance. Thus, the sites were not recommended for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places nor were they recommended for further excavations; however, because the hatchery is situated in a high site probability area, archeological monitoring is recommended for portions of the pipeline that are to be buried.

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11

Robinson, David G.

1989 Historical Research at the George Washington Jones Homestead, 41BP86, Bastrop County, Texas
Sponsored by Mr./Mrs. William Terry Bray

Between February, 1986 and July 1987, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL), The University of Texas at Austin conducted cultural resource investigations and a monitoring program at the George Washington Jones Homestead, 41BP86, in Bastrop County, Texas. Supported by a grant to The University of Texas at Austin from Mr. Terry Bray, the site's landowner, the research accomplished on-site recording of the homestead's structures and a background archival study of the site's history. Demolition and salvage of the unreconstructable Jones House was monitored for observation of architectural details and recovery of historically diagnostic artifacts. The combined field and archival research allowed the determination of the property's history, growth and changes from its initial granting to Stephen F. Austin in 1827 to the present day. Assessment of the site's previously recorded prehistoric component showed it to lack significance. An unexpected find was a collection of documents incorporated into a rat's nest in the house.  Dating between the 1850s and 1860s, the papers related to the law practice of Jones and Elijah P. Petty and have potential for research into regional law and politics.

Ordering Information: Available (iii + 46 pp., map, illustrations) $2.00, Wt.: 6 ozs.

12

Bement, Leland C.

1990 A Cultural Resource Assessment of Sites Along the Proposed Veloway Park, Travis County, Texas
Sponsored by City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department

Between January 8 and January 12, 1990, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, carried out an intensive pedestrian survey for cultural resources within the proposed Veloway Park in Travis County for the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department. This project was authorized by Texas Antiquities Permit 871. Twelve prehistoric sites were recorded but only one site, 41TV1550, warrants avoidance or additional work.

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13

Warren, James E.

1990 Cultural Resources Testing of Archeological Sites 41MC19 and 41MC294, Choke Canyon Reservoir, McMullen County, Texas
Sponsored by Royal Oil and Gas Corporation

From May through June, 1989, James E. Warren conducted subsurface testing of two proposed well pad sites on Bureau of Reclamation land, in the Choke Canyon Area, McMullen County, Texas. This fieldwork was done for Royal Oil and Gas Corporation under ARPA Permit 89-GP-15-T issued to the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin. A previous cultural resource survey determined that well pad BLM "A" 1 was to be located on 41MC294 and well pad BLM "A" 2 on site 41MC19. A combination of backhoe trenches and hand-excavated units was used at both sites. No intact features were found at site 41MC19. A small sandstone hearth was identified at 41MC294. Neither site will be adversely affected by drilling operations. However, the Bureau of Reclamation has recommended the monitoring of excavations that extend below 50 cm.

Ordering Information: Available (vi + 47 pp., map, illustrations, appendices) $2.00, Wt.: 6.5 ozs.

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14

Robinson, David G., and Dan K. Utley

1990 Under the Jail: Historical Archeology at the Bastrop County Courthouse and Old Jail, Bastrop County, Texas
Sponsored by the Williams Co., AIA, and the County of Bastrop

In January, 1990, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL), The University of Texas at Austin, conducted archival research and field testing at the Bastrop County Courthouse and 1892 Old Jail in Bastrop County, Texas. Carried out for The Williams Company, AIA, and the County of Bastrop, the research was mandated by the Texas Antiquities Committee to satisfy provisions of the Texas Courthouse Law. The fieldwork consisted of backhoe trenching in areas of a proposed heat pump well system to be installed under the lawns and parking lots around the courthouse and Old Jail. The major finds of the project were the remnant construction zone around the Old Jail and the sequence of parking lot fills south of the courthouse and jail. A large concrete building slab and an out-of-context tombstone were inadvertently exposed during construction. The slab was probably the foundation of a garage dating to the 1930s or later, and the Sarah Harvey tombstone did not mark an actual gravesite. It was probably brought to the courthouse block after being removed from its cemetery. The identity of Sarah Harvey and the location of her grave remain a mystery.

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15

Julien, Daniel G.

1990 Archeological Computer Programs for Mapping and Radiocarbon Dating on the IBM-PC
Sponsored by TARL

In 1986, Dr. Solveig Turpin and Dr. Richard P. Schaedel of The University of Texas at Austin received a grant from IBM through Project Quest at UT Austin of computer equipment for the development of a computer mapping system. The system was set up at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory and developed around available software. However, we found that exchange of data between the programs was often cumbersome, and that the programs lacked the capability to deal with certain types of data (such as raw transit data). The mapping programs described here were written to deal with these problems. TRANSMAP converts raw transitdata to Cartesian coordinates. The output can be sent to a drawing program, a contour mapping program, a database program, or a printer. The C-13 program was written to automate the process of estimating C-13 fractionation correction factors.

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16

Bement, Leland C., and Dan K. Utley

1990 A Cultural Resource Assessment of Sites in the Proposed Mary Moore Searight Park, Travis County, Texas
Sponsored by City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department

Between April 2 and April 5, 1990, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, carried out an intensive pedestrian survey for cultural resources within the proposed Mary Moore Searight Park in Travis County for the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department. This project was conducted under the terms of Texas Antiquities Permit 898. At present, only the southern tract, an area of 185 acres, is scheduled for development of recreational facilities and nature trails. A northern tract of 110 acres will be held in trust for future expansion of the park.

One prehistoric and two historic sites were found in the northern tract. None of these sites warrant further work. The southern tract contains four prehistoric sites, four historic sites, and two prehistoric isolated finds. The current plan for park development successfully avoids disturbances to any of the sites in the southern tract. However, if future development of the park is undertaken, further archival research is recommended to determine the time period of original construction and historical merit of house site 41TV1566 and dam site 41TV1567.

Ordering Information: Available (vi + 21 pp., map, illustrations) $2.00, Wt.: 4 ozs.

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17

Bement, Leland C.

1991 Cultural Resources Survey of Portions of Bergstrom Air Force Base, Travis County, Texas

The intensive pedestrian survey of five areas totaling 380 acres of Bergstrom Air Force Base by the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL) for Tetra Tech, Inc., produced no new site locations. Four prehistoric open campsites previously recorded along Onion and Cottonmouth creeks were reassessed. Sites 41TV434, 41TV435, and 41TV436 are recommended for testing to determine their eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Site 41TV437, previously recommended for collection and testing respectively, was found to be in worsened condition and it no longer merits further study. All areas surveyed, except along Onion Creek, have undergone extensive modifications associated with golf course construction, landfill activities, drainage rechannelization, and runway upgrading and contouring.

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18

Bement, Leland C.

1991 The MITRE Project: Archeological Survey on the Mescalero Plain, Loving County, Texas
Sponsored by University of Texas System Lands

In January, 1991, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, conducted an archeological survey of 2000 acres of University of Texas System Lands in Loving County, Texas under the authority granted by Texas Antiquities Permit 971. Two prehistoric open campsites, one fringing a small playa and one along a drainage to the playa, and three isolated artifacts were recorded. The sites consist of dispersed hearths and light scatters of lithic debris, exposed by erosion of the sandy sediments. Neither site is significant beyond the locational information provided by this survey.

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19

Moncure, Henry B.

1991 Assessment of the Archeological Potential of the Supreme Court Complex, Austin, Texas
Sponsored by State Purchasing and General Services Commission

In 1988 and 1989, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, carried out archival research, limited exploratory, and construction monitoring to insure the expansion of facilities housing the Texas Supreme Court and the offices of the Attorney General did not affect significant cultural resources. Sponsored by the State Purchasing and General Services Commission and authorized by Antiquities Permit 710, these investigations produced a history of land use, uncovered two buried features (41TV1374), and acquired a sample of artifacts from relatively discrete temporal contexts. Prior land use and a long sequence of construction and demolition have eradicated the archeological potential of the tracts where construction was scheduled. None of the uncovered features or artifacts were associated with persons or events or regional or local historical significance but the recovered material can contribute to future studies of ethnicity in early Austin.

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20

Davis, Michael W.

1991 Cultural Resource Survey of the Rosita Mine Extension, Duval County, Texas
Sponsored by Eggleston Holmes & Associates

In April 1991, The Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin conducted an archeological survey and assessment of a 530-acre extension of the Rosita Mine in Duval County. Two prehistoric sites (41DV135 and 41DV137 and two historic sites (41DV136 and 41DV138) were documented in the area proposed for development. None of these sites warrant further archeological investigation. An historic cemetery (41DV139), located outside the project area, was also recorded.

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21

Collins, Michael B., Jan Guy, and Steve Carpenter

1991 An Evaluation of Documentation from 1981-1984 Investigations at the Wilson-Leonard Site (41WM235), Williamson County, Texas
Sponsored by Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation

Abstract Not Available

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22

Davis, Michael W., and Leland C. Bement

1991 Cultural Resource Assessments in the Alta Mesa Mine, Brooks County, Texas
Sponsored by Total Minerals Corporation/Eggelston Holmes & Associates

In October 1989, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, conducted a site relocation and evaluation survey of the Alta Mesa uranium prospect in Brooks County, Texas for Total Mineral Corporation (TOTAL) and their agents, Eggelston Holmes and Associates. Six archeological sites, three prehistoric lithic scatters (41BK12, 41BK21, and 41BK33) within the Alta Mesa lease and one prehistoric (41BK16) and two historic sites (41BK28 and 41BK29) in an adjoining lease, were relocated and assessed according to National Register of Historic Places criteria. None of the sites in the TOTAL project areas merit further investigation and the three outside the permit area will not be affected by mine development. Additionally, efforts to relocate 21 other previously documented sites were unsuccessful.

In May 1991, an additional 143 acres were intensively surveyed as part of continuing mine development. This small tract is contiguous with the southern boundary of the original permit area. No archeological sites were documented with the 143 acres, but two prehistoric sites (41BK46 and 41BK47) were recorded adjacent to the western and southern boundaries of the study area. If the mine expands in the direction of these sites, their potential significance should be further evaluated.

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23

Davis, Michael W.

1991 Archeological Assessments at the Brackenridge Tract, Travis County, Texas
Sponsored by the University of Texas System

The Texas Archeological Research Laboratory documented and assessed three archeological sites in the Brackenridge Tract, a property of the University of Texas System located in west Austin. Site 41TV1583 (Boat Town, Inc.) is a complex of commercial buildings, some portions of which are historic in nature. A small undeveloped piece of property adjacent to the buildings was tested by backhoe trenching to determine if buried historic deposits were present. No significant archeological deposits were encountered.  Site 41TV1584, a small rock shelter, was also tested. A buried ash lens that contained historic glass and metal fragments was documented. No further work is recommended for the shelter. Site 41TV1241 received additional assessment during the intensive pedestrian survey and shovel probing along planned roadways. No subsurface material was found and no additional work is recommended for this light lithic scatter. None of the investigated sites meet criteria for listing on the National Register of Historic Places or qualify as State Archeological Landmarks.

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24

Robinson, David G., and Dan K. Utley

1992 Cultural Resources Survey Plan for the South Austin Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Service Area, Travis County, Texas
Sponsored by City of Austin

In the spring of 1991, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL), The University of Texas at Austin, prepared a planning document for historical/cultural research in unsurveyed areas in the South Austin Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Service Area, in southeastern Travis County, Texas. The Survey Plan was prepared for the City of Austin to meet requirements set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, State Historic Preservation Officer, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation under provisions of the National Environmental Preservation Act and its implementing regulations (36CFR800). The plan projects the needs for phased future survey and cultural resource management based on known, previously recorded and studied archeological and historical properties within the service area.

The 119 prehistoric and historic sites on record at TARL, the central repository for cultural site information in Texas, were entered into a study area database. Additional archives and the Texas Historical Commission were consulted for National Register properties, historic markers, cemeteries, and communities of the historic period. From these data, a high prehistoric site probability zone was established along Onion Creek and an adjacent high gravel terrace of the Colorado River. Moderate probability zones were identified along the secondary, intermittent streams, namely Dry, Maha, Marble, and Cottonmouth creeks. Stratified rockshelters along Onion Creek hold the greatest potential for addressing research concerns in the Prehistoric Study Units, and Paleoindian sites and finds comprise the greatest need for future archeological work. Standing historical remains are scant in the study area due to urban encroachment, Bergstrom Air Force Base, changing land use, and the realignment of roads. These modern dynamics also have ongoing effects on the prehistoric cultural resources.

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25

Bement, Leland C., and Dan K. Utley

1992 Continuing Cultural Resource Survey in the Calvert Prospect: The 1990 Season, Robertson County, Texas
Sponsored by Morrison-Knudsen Co.

Between June 11 and June 22, 1990, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, conducted an intensive pedestrian survey of 2,450 acres of the extended Calvert Mine, Robertson County, Texas for Walnut Creek Mining Company. This survey located and documented 14 historic sites, 8 prehistoric sites, and 2 sites with both historic and prehistoric components.

Two previously identified historic sites and one prehistoric site were reassessed as were seven historic sites and nine prehistoric sites recorded in 1986 in an 800-acre tract that is now included in the extended permit area.

The Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Historical Commission determined historic farmsteads 41RT93 and 41RT275 in the extended permit area and nearby 41RT302 eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Eight of the prehistoric sites in the previously surveyed 800-acres tract were recommended for limited or extensive testing. None of the newly recorded prehistoric sites rival those recommended for testing as a result of the 1986 survey.

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26

Caran, S. Chris, David G. Robinson, Kelly L. Scott, Herbert H. Eling, and Dan K. Utley

1992 Archeological and Geomorphological Investigations at Two LCRA River Access Sites on the Colorado River, Colorado and Fayette Counties, Texas
Sponsored by Lower Colorado River Authority

Surface survey, backhoe testing, and archival research were used to identify any potential detrimental effects of developing river access sites on two tracts of land on the Colorado River. The work was performed by the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, for the Lower Colorado River Authority under the provisions of Antiquities Permit 1103, issued by the Texas Antiquities Committee. Despite historic importance attributed to the 25-acre Colorado County tract by a Texas Centennial Marker and local tradition, the only material remains that deserved site designation are the supports of the 1898 highway bridge, recorded as 41CD126, that still stands adjacent to the LCRA property. Backhoe testing of a flood plain ridge on the Fayette County tract exposed 3000-year old buried prehistoric cultural deposits that were recorded as 41FY519. In addition, the La Grange Jewish Cemetery which abuts the LCRA tract was designated 41FY520. None of the recorded sites demonstrably meet criteria for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Site 41FY519 is the only site on publicly owned property, thus granting it eligibility for State Archeological Landmark status, but it is buried beneath 1.75 meters of overburden and should not be further disturbed by landscape modification. No other cultural resource stands as a bar to development of either tract.

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27

Turpin, Jeff

1992 Targeted Archeological Survey along the Seminole Pipeline Company Extension, Gaines to Austin Counties, Texas
Sponsored by Jones and Neuse, Inc. of Austin

In May and June of 1992, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, surveyed specified stream crossings along a proposed 35-ft expansion of an existing pipeline between Gaines and Austin counties, Texas. The project was sponsored by Jones and Neuse, Inc., agents for Seminole Pipeline Company, to fulfill the  terms of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permit. A total of 22 sites were recorded in the areas targeted for survey--18 prehistoric, 1 multicomponent, and 3 historic cemeteries. Two sites merited special attention. The pipeline was rerouted to avoid 41CC279, a burned rock midden near Lake Olin Ivey, and the right-of-way was constricted to lessen the disturbance to 41ST90, a large open campsite paralleling Hackberry Creek in Sterling County.

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28

Takac, Paul R., Michael B. Collins, Paul Goldberg, and Salvatore Valastro, Jr.

1992 Archeological and Geomorphological Testing along the Proposed South Austin Outfall Relief Main, Phase II Tunnel Alignment: The Vara Daniel Site (41TV1364), Zilker Park, Austin, Texas
Sponsored by City of Austin

Archeological and geomorphological testing of the Vara Daniel Site (41TV1364) in Zilker Park, Austin, Texas by the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL), The University of Texas at Austin, in the spring of 1992 complements an earlier program of testing by TARL conducted in 1989. The 1992 research refines the cultural and depositional history and boundaries of this site which contains stratified Paleoindian through Late Archaic cultural remains in deep alluvial and colluvial valley fill deposits. Testing by mechanical augering along the proposed route of tunnel construction for emplacement of the South Austin Outfall (SAO) Relief Main, a wastewater line, confirms the presence of archeological remains and a series of buried soils within the approximately 7 foot diameter to be disturbed by tunneling. Given the practical difficulties of safety and adequately conducting archeological research within the confines of a small tunnel and in the light of the nearly 90% reduction in volumetric impact to archeological resources already achieved as a result of construction redesign, we recommend that no effort be mounted to mitigate archeological impact within the tunnel corridor. A two-part strategy of monitoring the tunnel during construction for significant archeological evidence is recommended; consisting of both the training of City of Austin tunnel inspectors and the periodic inspection of tunnel fill by TARL staff.

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29

Robinson, David G., Michael W. Davis, Kay Hindes, S. Christopher Caran, and Solveig A. Turpin

1992 Intensive Survey of the San Miguel Lignite Mine Extension: 1991 Season, Atascosa and McMullen Counties, Texas
Sponsored by Morrison-Knudsen Co.

At the request of Morrison Knudsen Corporation, agents for the San Miguel Electric Cooperative, Inc., the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL), The University of Texas at Austin, conducted an intensive cultural resource survey of 2,500 acres in the San Miguel Lignite Mine in Atascosa and McMullen counties, Texas, in the autumn of 1991. Twenty-three prehistoric sites were recorded, and information was upgraded on an additional twelve previously recorded prehistoric sites. No historic sites were found in this survey of undeveloped rangeland, but archival research and informant interviews contributed significantly to the historic background of the mine.

The environmental settings of the prehistoric sites generally correspond to expectations put forth in previous site locational models in the San Miguel Lignite Mine. Shovel probing recovered subsurface artifacts at several sites, a situation relatively rare in these upland zones. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) selected eight sites, including six that were recommended by TARL, for limited testing to determine their potential to contribute data relevant to regional prehistory and to revise models of prehistoric settlement, paleoenvironment, and regional chronology.

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30

Black, Stephen L., Daniel R. Potter, Kevin Jolly, Linda Wootan Ellis, Palma J. Buttles, and Paul Goldberg

1993 Archeology along the Wurzbach Parkway: Progress and Data Recovery Plan for 41BX184
Sponsored by Texas Department of Transportation

Archeologists from the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (UT Austin) investigated three historic properties (prehistoric Indian sites) along the proposed Wurzbach Parkway in San Antonio. Archeological excavation is recommended for one site, the Higgins Site (41BX184), found to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. No further archeological work is recommended at the other sites. Several segments of the Wurzbach Parkway remain to be investigated. The Higgins Site excavation is planned for April and May.

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31

Turpin, Jeff

1993 Cultural Resources Survey and Assessment of a Proposed Southwestern Public Service Company Transmission Line, Gaines, Andrews, Ector and Midland Counties
Sponsored by Southwestern Public Service Company

In June and November of 1992, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, conducted a cultural resources survey of 65 miles of a proposed 67-mile transmission line corridor through Gaines, Andrews, Ector and a short segment of Midland counties, Texas for Southwestern Public Service Company. The remaining 2 miles will be surveyed when access to the property is obtained. Twenty miles of the proposed power line route cross University of Texas lands where survey was authorized by Antiquities Permit 1122. The intensive pedestrian survey, augmented by shovel tests, produced six prehistoric site recordings and one isolated find. Two sites, 41AD49 and 41EC6, were singled out for specific avoidance procedures. The remaining four are either out of harm's way or too minimal and disrupted to require further action. Therefore, cultural resources do not stand as a bar to construction of this line.

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32

Eling, Herbert H., Solveig A. Turpin, and Joseph F. Powell

1993 Limited Test Excavations at the Horse Island Site, 41CF29, Cameron County, Texas
Sponsored by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

In January 1992, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sponsored rescue and test excavations by the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, at 41CF29, the Horse Island site, in the Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge, Cameron County, Texas. One 2 by 2 meter test unit was placed above the skeletal remains of an adult woman who died 1375+/-58 radiocarbon years ago and whose burial was exposed by erosion of the clay dune shoreline. Two similar units were established to test for other human interments and to gain a better perspective of the extent of the site. No other burials were found but a large sample of fish remains were recovered. The analysis of 109 otoliths indicates that the Horse Island site was primarily a fishing camp, occupied from fall to spring with a hiatus in summer. The preservation of such detailed record of marine resource procurement and prehistoric economic strategies contributes to the significance of the Horse Island site under National Register of Historic Places eligibility Criterion D.

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33

Maslyk, Paul, Solveig A. Turpin, and S. Christopher Caran

1993 Test Excavations at 41TV435 and 41TV436: Cultural Resource Investigations at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Travis County, Texas
Sponsored by Tetra Tech, Inc.

In 1992, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, carried out limited site testing at 41TV435 and 41TV436 as part of the environmental impact assessment being prepared by Tetra Tech, Inc. as one of the reuse procedures at Bergstrom Air Force Base in Travis County, Texas. Both sites are on the banks of Cottonmouth Creek at its juncture with Onion Creek, a tributary to the Colorado River. Testing of their National Register of  Historic Places eligibility was recommended when both were originally recorded in 1979. Two backhoe trenches, five 1 by 1 meter test pits, and two shovel probes demonstrated that 41TV435 was a shallow open campsite, lacking in formal tools, and disturbed by overbank flooding. Thirteen backhoe trenches and three hand excavated 1 by 1 meter test pits reduced the estimated size of 41TV436 and eliminated the possibility that intact deposits were buried at depth. The historic component at 41TV436 proved to be the remains of a house and dairy barn constructed in 1935 by descendants of one of Travis County's first families. None of the components meet eligibility criteria and no further work is recommended.

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34

Moore, William E., compiler

1993 The Technical Bulletin Series Published by the Texas Archeological Survey 1971-1987: A Bibliography

This bibliography provides important details on the contents of 102 issues in the Technical Bulletin series, published between 1971 and 1987. Between 1971 and 1984, they were issued first by the Texas Archeological Salvage Project and later by the Texas Archeological Survey. This research unit, descended from the Texas Archeological Salvage Project, was eliminated administratively by the University in 1984, becoming part of the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL). However, several Technical Bulletins issued from 1984 up to mid-1987 continued to bear the imprint of the Texas Archeological Survey.

The Technical Bulletins were mostly short reports of surveys, assessments, or minor testing; some were issued as printed reports, others as reports to clients (in what would be the format of a "letter report" today). They are part of the vast number of documents generated by cultural resource studies, known collectively as the "gray literature." As such they are often hard to find during later research projects---even at the same university! Thus, Bill Moore has performed a very valuable service for Texas archeology by putting together this annotated bibliography. We at TARL express our sincere thanks to Bill for this effort.

Presently, short reports are issued in the Technical Series, initiated at TARL in Fall 1987. As of Fall 1993, 33 issues have appeared.

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35

Turpin, Jeff

1993 Pilot Grove Watershed: Archeological Survey of the Flood Retention Structure 68B, Hunt County, Texas
Sponsored by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District and Soil Conservation Service

In July of 1992, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District and the Soil Conservation Service requested that the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, provide an archeological assessment of a flood retention dam and consequent area of impoundment along Little Indian Creek in northwest Hunt County. The 92-acre proposed impoundment was intensively surveyed and shovel tested, and two new archeological sites were located and recorded as 41HU47 and 41HU48. Both of these sites are minimal lithic procurement areas exploiting low grade outcrops above the estimated maximum inundation level of 630.5 feet. Their deflated context, the lack of subsurface deposits, the limited nature of artifact assemblage, and the absence of formal tools make these sites ineligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Thus, neither presents an obstacle to dam construction or area inundation.

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36

Turpin, Jeff, Dan K. Utley, and Carole A. Medlar

1993 Continuing Cultural Resource Management at Calvert Mine: 1993 Historic Site Testing, Robertson County, Texas
Sponsored by Walnut Creek Mining Company

In 1993, Walnut Creek Mining Company sponsored National Register of Historic Places eligibility testing at three historic properties in the Calvert Mine, Robertson County, by the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin. All three sites were mapped, photographed, shovel tested, archivally researched, and traced in local oral history. The results were analyzed in the context of study units defined in approved Mine Management Plan.  The Stephenson and Hailey tenant house sites, 41RT274 and 41RT282, were built by Anglo-American landowners. The Bienzenski family, owners of 41RT286, were of Polish descent. All three properties are the former sites of small frame dwellings occupied between 1912 and 1956. Archeological deposits are scant and typical of mass-produced, mass-distributed goods available throughout the region in the twentieth century. Thus, none of the sites are considered eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

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37

Brosowske, Scott

1994 Targeted Survey Along the Seminole Pipeline Route, Austin and Fayette Counties, Texas
Sponsored by Jones and Neuse Inc.

In June and July of 1993, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL), The University of Texas at Austin, surveyed selected stream crossings along a proposed pipeline right-of-way (ROW) between Austin and Fayette counties. The project was sponsored by Jones and Neuse Inc., agents for Seminole Pipeline Company (SPC), to fulfill the terms of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permit. No sites were recorded in the areas targeted for survey but an isolated historic burial was found and reported by the SPC centerline staking crew. The pipeline was immediately moved to avoid this grave, recorded as 41FY527. Thus, no cultural properties stand as a bar to construction of the pipeline.

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38

Utley, Dan K., and Herbert H. Eling, Jr.

1994 Historical Sites in the Baylor Creek Project Area, Fayette County, Texas

Over a period of 20 years, the Lower Colorado River Authority has sponsored various surveys that recorded 11 historic sites along Baylor Creek, a tributary to the Colorado River in Fayette County, Texas. In 1993, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory amassed the extant information on these sites, carried out archival research to determine their age and origin, and field checked the locations to ascertain current condition. One site recorded in 1975, the Biegel-December site, had been determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was moved to Winedale, the cemetery relocated within the project area, and test excavations reported in detail. The Charpentier Cemetery, no 41FY477, was also moved in 1975 but not recorded or reported as a historic site until now. Another farmstead, 41FT93, was misnamed the December House and misplotted in 1975; the records have been corrected. The remaining eight sites are farmstead: 41FY476, the Heller site; 41FY517, the Fritsche-Wolff House; 41FY518, the Otto House; 41FY522, the Polasek Holub House site; 41FY523, the Onken-Mischer Farmstead; 41FY524, the Benno Schmidt House site; 41FY525, the Oran B. Milton Farmstead; and 41FY526, the Gready site. The majority of the structures have been razed or removed and the remains are not considered eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or as State Archeological Landmark under any criteria. At present, the LCRA has no plans to disturb any of these sites.

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39

Carpenter, Stephen M., and Douglas Drake

1994 Cultural Resources Survey of a Proposed SWEPCO Transmission Line, Titus County, Texas
Sponsored by Burns and McDonnell

In July and October of 1993, the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, conducted a cultural resources survey of 24 miles of the right-of-way of a proposed 345kv transmission line in Titus County, northeast Texas, for Burns and McDonnell, agents for Southwestern Electrical Power Company. The pedestrian survey produced six recorded sites, five prehistoric and one historic.  Four sites, 41TT645, 41TT647, 41TT649, and 41TT657, are either largely outside the right-of-way or hold little information promise. Two prehistoric sites, 41TT646 and 41TT648, were recommended for avoidance as an alternative to testing to determine their National Register of Historic Places eligibility. Additional site definition was undertaken at 41TT646 in May of 1994. One 1-x-1 test unit and 16 shovel probes produced evidence of an Early Ceramic buried component that was successfully preserved by redesign of tower placement and routing of heavy equipment around the site.

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40

Turpin, Solveig A.

1994 A Reconnaissance of Big Lake Draw:  Implications for Prehistoric Playa Utilization, Reagan County, Texas
Sponsored by University of Texas System University Lands

In February and March of 1994, a reconnaissance-level survey of the perimeter of Big Lake and Big Lake Draw in Reagan County by the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, was sponsored by University Lands and authorized by Antiquities Permit 1369. This survey produced 24 site recordings, bringing the total inventory of lake- or draw-oriented sites to 37, 3 of which are mainly historic and 34 predominantly prehistoric in age. The vast majority of the newly recorded sites are open camps characterized by hearths, burned rock scatter, lithic debitage, and few forma tools. Exceptions are a historic dugout, a military outpost, and a series of boat-shaped mortar holes. Artifacts indicate exploitation of the lake and draw resources in Late Prehistoric, Late Archaic, and Late Paleoindian times with a more restricted distribution of Middle Archaic types and few Early Archaic specimens. A strong preference for topographic settings on the northern side of the playa, in or atop the Holocene sand drift, and for slightly elevated landforms along the draw is expressed in the distribution of sites.

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41

Carpenter, Stephen M.

1994 Cultural Resource Survey of Targeted Areas, B. A. Steinhagen Lake, Jasper and Tyler Counties, Texas
Sponsored by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District

From February 15 to 19, 1994, a pedestrian survey of an 11.5-mile series of corridors along and near the shoreline of B.A. Steinhagen Lake in Jasper and Tyler counties was carried out by the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin. The work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District. Five newly recorded sites augment an inventory of nine previously recorded sites that purportedly lie within or immediately adjacent to the survey transect. Only four of the latter were relocated. All of the sites have suffered from inundation and wave action; none merit further work or designations based on site significance.

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42

Turpin, Jeff, and Stephen M. Carpenter

1994 Continuing Cultural Resource Management at Calvert Mine: 1993 Prehistoric Site Testing, Robertson County
Sponsored by Walnut Creek Mining Company

In May and June of 1993, Walnut Creek Mining Company (WCMC) sponsored National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility testing of three prehistoric sites in the Calvert Mine by the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL), The University of Texas at Austin. All work was carried out in accordance with a Programmatic Agreement between WCMC, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Texas Historical Commission (THC), and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The tested sites, 41RT283, 41RT284, and 41RT285, cluster at the confluence of an unnamed tributary and Walnut Creek where, in 1986, shovel probing of high probability areas produced evidence of buried cultural deposits. Machine and hand excavations remonstrated that all three sites contained Late Prehistoric components, defined by ceramics fragments at 41RT284 and 41RT285, arrow points at 41RT283 and 41RT285, and a d13C-corrected radiocarbon date of 280+-40 years ago at 41RT285. The latter was produced by assay of sediments from an organically stained zone that also contained a Perdiz arrow point and a ceramic fragment. Another area of site 41RT285 produced a late Archaic Kent dart point, mussel shell fragments, and a possible bison bone.  The absence of permanent features, such as hearths, the lack of formal tools, and the monotony of the lithic assemblage align these sites with 41RT288, tested in the 1992 field season at the Calvert Mine. Although this site type is of interest in settlement pattern studies, these specific sites were not recommended for listing on the NRHP. The THC agreed that 41RT283 and 41RT284 were not eligible but disagreed with this evaluation of 41RT285. In accordance with the Programmatic Memorandum, the competing arguments were submitted to the Keeper of the Register who determined that 41RT285 was eligible for the NRHP.

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43

Turpin, Jeff, and Douglas Drake

1995 A Relocation Survey of Selected Sites in the Flood Pool, Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Belton County, Texas
Sponsored by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District

A site reassessment survey within the normal conservation level of Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir in Bell County, Texas was conducted for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), Fort Worth District, in May and June of 1994 by archeologists from the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin. Of the 41 sites discussed in this report, five proved to be outside COE jurisdiction and eight were found to be underwater. Twenty-eight previously recorded and six newly discovered sites were documented and evaluated. In addition magnetic datums were placed at each site and center coordinates were fixed with the use of a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS). Intensive monitoring, increased surveillance, and limited testing of the most potentially significant sites were recommended.

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44

Turpin, Solveig A.

1995 Archeological Survey of a 130-Acre Tract in the Calvert Mine, Robertson County, Texas
Sponsored by Walnut Creek Mining Company

In March 1995, intensive survey of a 130-acre tract in the Calvert Mine, Robertson County, Texas by the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, for the Walnut Creek Mining Company, produced three site recordings. Two historic sites, 41RT300 and 41RT493, are the former locations of tenant farmsteads built in the 1920s or 1930s and destroyed by the 1950s. The single prehistoric site, 41RT492, was evidenced by sparse lithic debitage and one untyped arrow point recovered in shovel probes. None of the sites are considered to hold high potential for producing significant information about regional history or prehistory.

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45

Wilson, Diane E., and Thomas R. Hester

1996 Salvage of Prehistoric Skeletal Remains from 41ZP7, The Beacon Harbor Lodge Site, Zapata County, Texas
Sponsored by United States Section, International Boundary and Water Commission

During the period of May 4-6, 1996, a team from the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin excavated the skeletal remains of one individual exposed by receding water levels at Falcon Reservoir. The site, previously designated as 41ZP7, is under jurisdiction of the United States Section, International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico (USIBWC), who has overseen the area within the reservoir since its creation by the construction of Falcon Dam on the Rio Grande in the 1950s. Work was done under contract with the USIBWC, under ARPA permit 0001, issued by the agency.

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46

Collins, Michael B.

1996 An Archeological Survey with Shovel Testing Along Existing and Proposed Segments of Zilker Loop Trail, Travis County, Texas

Staff of the City of Austin, Department of Parks and Recreation, propose to enhance the Zilker Loop Trail along and near Barton Creek in Zilker Park by upgrading certain existing trail segments and constructing new segments. The proposed trail is partly within, and adjacent to, previously recorded archeological sites 41TV2 and 41TV689, as well as historic site 41TV690, all contributing members to Barton Springs Archeological and Historical District. This route was examined, and 10 shovel tests were dug to determine whether intact archeological deposits occur where disturbances are anticipated.

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47

Inman, Betty J., Keith L. Prilliman, and Thomas C. Gustavson

1998 An Archeological Survey of Wolf Ranch, Travis County, Texas

During May, 1997, a survey was conducted of the natural and cultural environment of Wolf Ranch resulting in the recording of 11 archeological sites (6 prehistoric; 3 historic; and 2 with both prehistoric and historic components). Additionally, one previously recorded prehistoric/historic site (41TV1238), was relocated and evaluated, and a total of 52 artifacts (isolated find artifacts that do not appear to be associated with an archeological site identified in this survey) was recorded.

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48

Meskill, Frances H., and Charles D. Frederick

1998 Archeological Testing at the Witte Museum Science Facility Construction Site: An Archeological and Geoarcheological Study on the East Bank of the San Antonio River
Sponsored by Witte Museum

This manuscript reports preliminary results of archeological testing conducted by Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL), The University of Texas at Austin, during the month of June, 1995, at the proposed building site of a new science facility for The Witte Museum, San Antonio, Texas. The project area is located in an alluvial setting, on the east bank of the San Antonio River and is sponsored by The Witte Museum in advance of construction at the site. The program of research by TARL focused on mechanical excavation by backhoe of two trenches and geoarcheological study of depositional profiles. The research objective was to examine the deposits to determine whether buried cultural materials were in place and their contexts if present.

Geomorphological study suggests the presence of two buried cultural surfaces of different ages, with two vertically separated components observed in Trench B within the older alluvial fill tentatively dated to the Early and Middle Holocene. A discrete hearthlike feature was discovered in association with the earlier occupation, and small amounts of charcoal were preserved in the fill. These deposits are considered to be part of site 41BX323 and consequently, no new site number was assigned. Texture of the Early and Middle Holocene alluvial deposits at this location indicate that deposition occurred in a relatively low-energy setting or by low-magnitude flooding.

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49

Gustavson, Thomas C., and Michael B. Collins

1998 Geoarcheological Investigations of Rio Grande Terrace and Flood Plain Alluvium from Amistad Dam to the Gulf of Mexico

Alluvial fill in the Rio Grande Valley was described in 26 stratigraphic sections from eight sites from the Amistad National Recreation Area to the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. These sites included a series of terraces along the Rio Grande, terraces along tributaries to the Rio Grande, and natural levees and flood basin areas on the Rio Grande delta plain. The distribution of terraces, natural levees, and soils developed on these landforms was documented. Archeological sites between the confluence of the Pecos River with the Rio Grande and the Gulf of Mexico were reviewed and the nature of the archeological record was summarized and described in terms of whether or not site descriptions included discussions of stratigraphic content.

In terms of landform development and geomorphic processes, the lower Rio Grande Valley can be divided into two areas: below Los Ebaños, Texas, the valley is a constructional delta plain; above Los Ebaños, the valley is flanked by a series of terraces and the river is incising its bed. The delta plain, which is an area of modern sediment accumulation on natural levees and in flood basins, is underlain by as much as 30 m of Late Quaternary sediments, all of which could contain cultural materials. Natural levees, which flank the Rio Grande and its abandoned channels, are comprised mostly of sand and silt and flood basins. These are topographically low areas between the levees and are underlain mostly by clay and silt. Rio Grande and Carmargo soil series have developed on flood basin sediments. These soils are Entisols and reflect minimal soil development because they lack horizontation and retain primary sedimentary structures such as laminations and ripple marks.

Three groups of terraces were recognized above Los Ebaños based on their elevation above the Rio Grande including: high terraces at 18 to 20 m; intermediate terraces at 8 to 12 m; and low terraces at 2 to 5 m. Terrace-filling alluvium generally consists of coarse channel gravels overlain by a thick sequence of overbank deposits of sand and silt. Typically, overbank sediments have been bioturbated and lack primary sedimentary structures; however, buried soils are preserved in some sections. Low terraces have developed Entisols, which are immature soils lacking illuvial horizons, and intermediate and high terraces have typically developed Inceptisols, which are relatively more mature soils that have developed illuvial horizons. Radiocarbon dates and cultural materials indicate that intermediate and high terrace sediments are Holocene in age. Terrace elevations were also compared to historical flood levels indicating that in most areas the high terraces have been at least partially flooded during the last 75 years. These observations indicate that all terrace filling alluvium in the lower Rio Grande Valley has the potential to carry cultural materials.

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50

Meskill, Frances H., Leslie C. Shaw and Stephen L. Black

2000 Excavations at 41BX323, the Witte Museum Parcel, Archaic Period Occupations on the Banks of the San Antonio River, Bexar County, Texas

The Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL) conducted mitigation-phase excavations at site 41BX323 on the grounds of the Witte Museum in San Antonio, Texas. Site 41BX323 is located on the east bank of the San Antonio River and was occupied intermittently throughout the Archaic period and into the Late Prehistoric period. The section of this site located on Witte Museum property, and referred to as the Witte Museum Parcel, was to be adversely impacted by construction of the H.E.B. Science Treehouse, so excavations of site deposits were deemed warranted. The mitigation was conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 1585 during the fall of 1995.

The results of the excavations identified several Archaic period occupations based on the recovery of lithic artifacts and radiocarbon dates. Four rock features were identified at the site, and these are all relatively small and likely represent hearths. The analysis of the microstratigraphy of the natural deposits and features and the floral and faunal remains from cultural strata both indicated that the site has been impacted by natural erosion and bioturbation which has resulted in some deflation and mixing of the cultural deposits. Although the integrity of the deposits was somewhat diminished by these processes, the cultural data provide information on the Archaic utilization of the San Antonio drainage and its resources.

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