Stone Creek Park Rockwall County, Texas

The City of Rockwall is proposing to construct the 14.4-acre Stone Creek Park on the northwest corner of John King Boulevard and Featherstone Drive in Rockwall, Texas. AR Consultants, Inc. (ARC) was contracted to survey the route and conducted the survey March 6, 2015. No prehistoric or historic archaeological sites were found during the survey. This follows the predictions made prior to field work which were based on the project area’s location in the upper reaches of the Thompson Branch Watershed. Given the results of this survey, AR Consultants, Inc. recommends that further cultural resource investigations are unnecessary for this project, and requests that the Texas Historical Commission concur with this recommendation

Bear Creek Interceptor Tarrant County, Texas

The Trinity River Authority is proposing to construct the 5.1-milong Bear Creek Interceptor in Tarrant County, Texas. The north end of the pipeline is in Grapevine’s Parr Park and the route follows Big Bear Creek through Wall-Farrar Nature Park, Bear Creek Park, across TX 360 and TX 121, through D/FW Airport property, and terminates on the south in the Hyatt Bear Creek Golf Course. AR Consultants, Inc. (ARC) was contracted to survey the route and conducted the survey December 30, 2014 and January 8, 2015. Though the route crosses two previously recorded sites (41TR24 and 41TR26), no evidence of these sites was found in the field. No prehistoric or historic archaeological sites were found during the survey. This follows the predictions made prior to field work which were based on the project area’s location in the Big Bear Creek floodplain. Given the results of this survey, AR Consultants, Inc. recommends that further cultural resource investigations are unnecessary for this project, and requests that the Texas Historical Commission concur with this recommendation

American ideals reinforced through advertisements

The economic and housing boom that followed World War II paved the way for America to become the consumer-driven economy that it is today. These booms also created competition among companies, therefore leading to the aggressive use of advertisements which reinforced certain “American” ideals in order to sell products. The Civil Rights Movement and Cold War tensions led Americans to question the characteristics that embodied the term “American,” while events such as the passing of the G.I. Bill and the start of the Baby Boom enforced certain societal ideals. Advertisements during the mid-twentieth century preyed upon the uncertainty among citizens pertaining to their American citizenship, and illustrated companies’ desire to appeal to a specifically white, middle-class audience. They emphasized the “American” ideals of happily married couples, healthy families and babies, and cleanliness. The “scientific” claims that many companies, such as Listerine, used in their advertisements have since been proven by modern science as false, however, the ads share an overarching theme of only targeting and portraying white, happy people. Ideals embedded by advertisements during the mid-twentieth century heavily influenced American stereotypes and served as distractions from difficult times. By using the uncertainty regarding the definition of “Americanism,” companies relied on images and the psychological aspects of their advertisements to sell their products. In the process, they defined the stereotypical qualities that embodied the term “American,” many of which still exist today.undergraduat

The Science Behind Climate Change: A Journey to Reedy Glacier

This Communicating Research to Public Audiences project focuses on the Reedy Glacier Antarctic research of Brenda Hall (OPP 0229034) and its relevance to the residents of and visitors to Maine. Collaborators include the University of Maine, the Maine Discovery Museum, the Acadia National Park and Cadillac Mountain Sports (an environmentally active retail company with several stores around the state). The primary deliverable is the development of an interactive software program that presents information and experiences in a two-tiered concept approach -- on the Reedy Glacier and its connection to Maine and on the process of science. The software is being configured into kiosks at the three partnering organizations, into a DVD format for informal and formal settings to be distributed at cost and onto a University of Maine Climate Change web portal currently under separate development. The project web site will provide source code for the portal design so others may use it to create portals and modules of their own. The Maine Discovery Museum intends to create additional exhibitry on the topic with resources outside this proposal, and the Acadia National Park will use the programs in teacher education workshops

Rockwall To Royse City Pipeline Route Rockwall County, Texas

North Texas Municipal Water District is proposing to construct a 3.05- mile-long pipeline and a storage tank area (measuring up to 4.7 acres) in Rockwall County, Texas. The combination of permanent and temporary easements varies along the route but they are never wider than 70 ft combined. AR Consultants, Inc. (ARC) was contracted to survey the route and conducted the survey March 17 and 26, 2015. No prehistoric archaeological sites were found during the survey. This follows the predictions made prior to field work which were based on the project area’s location in the upper reaches of the Camp Creek Watershed. One historic farmstead site (41RW30) was recorded. This site consists of a well/cistern at a location of a mapped structure on maps dating to the 1920s through the 1970s. However, no structure remains and the only intact feature is the well/cistern. Additionally, the artifacts recovered are indicative of an early to mid-20th century residence and the site lacks overall integrity. Given the results of this survey, AR Consultants, Inc. recommends that further cultural resource investigations are unnecessary for this project, and requests that the Texas Historical Commission concur with this recommendation

Archaeological Survey Of The Los Rios Clubhouse Area Collin County, Texas

The City of Plano is proposing to convert the Los Rios Golf Course and Country Club into a city park. For the first phase of the project, the city may choose to remove the clubhouse and associated physical facilities. The City of Plano contracted with AR Consultants, Inc. to conduct an archaeological survey of the 8.3-acre area surrounding the clubhouse and an architectural evaluation of the clubhouse. Of the 8.3 acres, six are paved or are the sites of buildings. The archaeological survey, which was conducted under the authority of Texas Antiquities Permit 8283, was conducted on January 12, 2018 and focused only on the unpaved areas. No prehistoric cultural remains were found. A few isolated historic artifacts were found on the surface but were not determined to be a site. The architectural evaluation determined that the clubhouse may be significant based on its connection to local entertainment/recreation, its example as a Modern-style clubhouse, and its connection to the Craycroft-Lacy & Partners architectural firm. However, the clubhouse is not yet 50 years old. Therefore, it is not recommended eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places or for designation as a State Antiquities Landmark. Given the results of this survey, AR Consultants, Inc. recommends that further cultural resource investigations are unnecessary within the 8.3-acre project area surrounding the clubhouse, and requests that the Texas Historical Commission concur with this recommendation. Documents related to the archaeological survey will be curated at the Center for Archaeological Studies at Texas State University in San Marcos

Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Bear Creek Corporate Center Dallas County, Texas

EVP Developmental/Avere Real Estate is proposing to construct the Bear Creek Corporate Center at the southeast corner of SH161 and Conflans Road in Irving, Texas on approximately 16 acres. This is located in the Bear Creek floodplain 300 meters form the creek channel.AR Consultants, Inc. was contracted to survey the entire property. The survey and shovel testing were conducted on May 17, 2016. The water table was relatively high at the time of survey, inundating almost a third of the property. No prehistoric or historic archaeological sites were found during the survey. This follows the predictions made prior to field work regarding prehistoric and historic sites. Given the results of this survey, AR Consultants, Inc. recommends that further cultural resource investigations are unnecessary for this project, and requests that the Texas Historical Commission and Fort Worth District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers concur with this recommendation

Archaeological Survey Of The Proposed Grapevine Aerial SS Repair Tarrant County, Texas

The City of Grapevine is proposing to repair an aerial sanitary sewer across Big Bear Creek in Tarrant County, Texas. The project area is located on the south side of a horseshoe bend in the floodplain of Big Bear Creek, north of Western Oaks Drive and west of Texas State Highway 121. AR Consultants, Inc. (ARC) conducted the intensive pedestrian archaeological survey in an area approximately 50-meters by 25-meters (0.3-acres) on June 8, 2018. Four shovel tests were excavated within the project area during the systematic field inspection. The archaeological potential for prehistoric and historic cultural resources was considered low. During survey, no cultural resources were identified in the shovel tests or found on the surface. Given the results of this survey, AR Consultants, Inc. recommends that further cultural resource investigations are unnecessary for this project, and requests that the Texas Historical Commission and the Fort Worth District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers concur with this recommendation. The field notes, photographs, and photo logs will be curated with the Center for Archaeological Studies at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas

An Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Fannin County Bridge Study Areas Fannin County, Texas

North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) is proposing to construct the Lower Bois d’Arc Creek Reservoir in northeast Fannin County, Texas. Due to the proposed inundation, nine bridge/culvert locations will be inundated, and new bridges/culverts will be constructed. White Hawk, which is handling the engineering for the project, contracted with AR Consultants, Inc. to evaluate the proposed bridge locations to determine if significant cultural resources are within the study areas. Prior to and during the cultural resources survey, it was thought that 11 locations would be impacted and 11 were surveyed. After the survey was complete, it was determined that locations 4A and 8 would not be impacted by this project. Even so, the survey results for these two locations is included in this report. All road improvements and new construction will take place within a study area that can vary from 140 to 300 feet wide. In total, 112.11 acres were surveyed. The routes were surveyed on August 29-31, 2016, January 30-February 2, and May 11 2017. During the survey, four historic sites (41FN253, 41FN255, 41FN256 and 41FN257) and one site (41FN254) with historic and prehistoric components were recorded. No historic artifacts were collected; prehistoric artifacts and notes from these sites will be curated at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at the University of Texas in Austin. As land access on private land was only granted within the easement, the sites on private land could only be fully defined, recorded, and evaluated within these corridors. Sites found on land owned by NTMWD were recorded fully. Because of this, site 41FN257, which sits on private land, was not fully recorded. Therefore, only the portion of the site within the project area can be evaluated, and site 41FN257 is recommended not eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places or as a State Antiquities Landmark. Sites 41FN253, 41FN254, 41FN255, and 41FN256, which were recorded fully, are also recommended not eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places or as State Antiquities Landmark. Given the results of this survey, AR Consultants, Inc. recommends that further cultural resource investigations are unnecessary for this project, and requests that the Texas Historical Commission concur with this recommendation

New materialism: interviews & cartographies

Reseña del libro: Rick Dolphijn and Iris van der Tuin, "New Materialism: Interviews & Cartographies" (Ann Arbor, MI: Open Humanities Press, 2012), 197 pp