Test Excavations at Site 41CD56 Colorado County, Texas

Site 41CD56 is an aboriginal site located on Crier Creek in northwestern Colorado County, Texas. Testing in October, 1983, revealed that moderate amounts of thermally altered chert/quartzite and lithic debitage were contained in sandy deposits varying from 20 to 110 cm in depth. Two burned rock accumulations, possibly disturbed hearths, were discovered; but no diagnostic tools or indicators of cultural affiliation were found

Archaeological Testing and Recommendations for the Kennedy Bluffs Site, 41BP19, in Bastrop County, Texas

Archaeological Site 41BP19 was reported by Daymond Crawford of the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation (SDHPT) Archaeology Section in November 1983, with a recommendation for test excavation. Testing was conducted by Glenn T. Goode of the SDHPT Archaeology Section and four employees of the local SDHPT office during the period May 7 through May 24, 1984. An estimated 70 persondays were expended during the field work on this project. Testing was conducted in accordance with Procedures for the Protection of Historic and Cultural Properties (36 CFR, Part 800), procedures prescribed and endorsed by the Federal Highway Administration. The testing objective was to determine eligibility for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places as pre- scribed by law

An Assessment of Prehistoric Sites 41CP228 and 41CP229 Camp County, Texas

The road along which sites 41CP228 and 229 occur is F.M. 1520 (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2), with the limits of improvements to it being from 0.8 mi. north of Loop 179 to 0.7 mi. north of Walkers Creek--a length of approximately 1.25 miles. This is a particularly dangerous stretch of roadway with curves at Walkers Creek and its tributary to the north. Along this stretch in recent years several people have died in automobile accidents, most recently during the course of the fieldwork in September, 1996. The proposed work will realign the roadway to eliminate the curves, and construct two new multiple box culverts. An assessment of these prehistoric sites was conducted between September 3 and September 18, 1996, but a total of only 7 days was spent in the field. The sites were recorded in 1993, with shovel testing done at both and recommendations made for further work. From 39 shovel tests at 41 CP229, a total of 5 artifacts was found and the site was recommended for test excavation. In an area near site 4 1 CP228, no artifacts were found in 17 shovel tests and the site appeared to be outside the right-of-way; however, it was recommended that monitoring should be done during construction. The purpose of the recent work was to determine if the part of site 41CP229 in the proposed right-of-way warranted formal test excavation, and if site 4 1CP228 extended into the right-of-way. This evaluation of the sites was done with a combination of Gradall scraping and hand excavation of large shovel tests. The emphasis of the work at 41 CP229 was on finding features such as house patterns in the relatively shallow sandy deposit and underlying clay

Archaeological Testing of the Cave at Site 41BX22 Bexar County, Texas

The Rogers Site, 41BX22, is located on the east bank of a tributary to Salado Creek in northern Bexar County and has three major occupation or activity areas: a terrace-bench site with a burned rock midden, a small cave, and quarry areas on the bluff overlooking the bench and cave sites. The terrace site was test-excavated by students in the mid-1960s. Primarily Late Prehistoric and Late Archaic materials were recovered with the Middle Archaic and possibly the Early Archaic being represented. Relic hunters have since thoroughly destroyed this portion of the site which lies just north of the FM 1604 right-of-way. This report deals only with the small cave, located 40 meters down-stream from the terrace site. The cave was tested by the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation in response to high-way improvements along FM 1604. The test was brief, aimed at determining the depth and age of the cultural deposit. No features and only two diagnostic artifacts were found. Unfortunately, with this limited evidence, a confident statement regarding the time range of occupation cannot be made. The small charcoal samples which were collected could be helpful in resolving the time problem

A Report of Testing at Archaeological Sites 41FY421, 41FY422, 41FY424 in Fayette County, Texas

Sites 41FY421, 41FY422, and 41FY424 are upland aboriginal sites situated on divides separating Robinson, Cedar, and Bartons Creeks in northwest Fayette County. These sites are characterized by generally shallow, un-stratified sandy deposits. The cultural inventory is limited to stone materials--primarily thermally altered chert and quartzite and lithic debitage. Diagnostic cultural indicators are relatively scarce, with a large majority of these being less than 2000 years in age. One site, 41FY422, produced 25 hearths and related features. Most of these are apparently less than 2000 to 3000 years in age as well

Archaeological Testing of Sites 41FY141, 41FY151, 41FY152, and 41FY153 Fayette County, Texas

Four prehistoric sites occurring within a one mile stretch of FM 153, ten miles northwest of LaGrange, Texas, were investigated in November, 1983. These sites were evidenced by light scatters of burned rock and lithic debris on the surface. Excavation revealed shallow sandy loam deposits containing very small amounts of cultural material. The portion of these sites within the FM 153 right-of-way have no potential for further work

Test Excavations at Site 41LK269 Live Oak County, Texas

Archaeological site 41LK269 is a prehistoric open campsite located on a Pleistocene terrace remnant of the Nueces River near George West, Texas. The small portion of the site which remains within the right-of-way of US Highway 59 produced a meager sample of aboriginal materials. The cultural remains, devoid of diagnostic artifacts, consist of lithic artifacts and fire-cracked rock. The absence of diagnostic materials precludes an accurate assessment of the occupation time frame. The recovery indicates that that portion of the site which occurs within the highway right-of-way does not merit nomination to the National Register of Historic Places or designation as a State Archeological Landmark. The site extends for several hundred meters along the terrace outside the right-of-way, and a determination of National Register significance and/or State Archeological Landmark status was not made on this, larger portion of the site

Archaeological Testing of Site 41CW25

Testing of Site 41CW25 on County Road 226, Caldwell County, to determine eligibility for inclusion within the National Register of Historic Places and to determine site depth, cultural context, and archaeological significance, was undertaken in January, 1984. The site lies on a high terrace of the north bank of the Clear Fork of Plum Creek, 1.6 miles east of US Highway 183 where County Road 226 crosses the creek. Evidence recovered demonstrates that insufficient material exists within the right-of-way to support a determination of eligibility for inclusion within the National Register

Archaeological Testing at Site 41BP280, Bastrop County, Texas

Archaeological site 41BP280 is located along SH 71 in east~central Bastrop County. Abundant evidence of prehistoric aboriginal occupation covers a narrow Pleistocene terrace which abuts the much higher Pleistocene terrace remnant upon which 41BP19 is located. Multiple cultural components are present at 41BP280, ranging in age from at least the Middle Archaic through the Late Prehistoric Periods. A large lithic artifact assemblage and abundant thermally altered stone were present in up to 1.20 meters of deposit. Site 41BP280 is a potentially important site; however, it is not recommended for additional excavation because that part of the site within the right-ofway of SH 71 will be preserved under 12 to 15 ft. of fill. A large portion of the site remains outside the right-of-way to the south of SH 71, and this portion of the site is believed to be worthy of designation as a State Archaeological Landmark

Test Excavations at Prehistoric Site 41SM203, Smith County, Texas

Site 41SM203 is a prehistoric campsite situated along the southwestern outskirts of the city of Tyler, Smith County, Texas. The site occupies the apex and lower slopes of a north-south trending ridge that runs for several miles. The lower part of the site lies relatively near springs located along the headwaters of Butler Creek. These springs or similar ones are thought to have been a major attraction of this locale, but significant cultural deposits were not found near them or in any part of the site subject to the investigation. The cultural materials that were found indicate sporadic and nonintensive use of the site through different parts of the Archaic period, particularly the Late Archaic. Following the Late Archaic, there is a gap in the cultural record caused by the apparent absence of the Early Ceramic period. Later, there is meager evidence of Late Prehistoric occupation in the way of Caddoan ceramics