Archaeological Investigations at 41AN115

41AN115 is located in the northwestern part of Anderson County, Texas, on a western terrace of Town Creek approximately nine miles from the Trinity River. It is a multi-component prehistoric occupation, and the artifacts found here indicate it has been used from Late Paleoindian to Woodland period times. The late Paleoindian occupation is represented by Dalton and San Patrice dart points; the Archaic occupations are marked by Bell, Bulverde, and Yarbrough dart points; while the Woodland period occupation includes Gary points and sandy paste pottery. The site was used intermittently over thousands of years as a hunting camp and later as a seasonal campsite. The tool kit included flake knives, gravers, spokeshaves, punches, and scrapers, along with many ground stone tools. The lithic materials chosen for tool use are a combination of local and non-local material with cherts, fine-grained quartzite, ferruginous sandstone, and petrified wood. One Late Archaic occupational features has been found at the site

ALCOA #1 (41AN87): A Frankston Phase Settlement along Mound Prairie Creek, Anderson County, Texas

The ALCOA #1 (41AN87) site is a Frankston Phase (ca. A.D. 1400-1650) site located on a high alluvial terrace of Mound Prairie Creek, about seven kilometers northeast of Palestine, Texas. Mound Prairie Creek, a perennial stream, flows southeast to east across the county and drains into the Neches River. The site is approximately 10 meters above the Mound Prairie Creek floodplain, and the creek channel is 300 meters to the south. Although the investigations at the site have been rather limited to date, it appears that the ALCOA #1 site is a single component Frankston Phase homestead, or possibly a small hamlet. Other Frankston phase sites are known on Mound Prairie Creek, Hurricane Creek, Walnut Creek, and Brushy Creek, all Neches River tributaries, and the possibility exists that these may be part of a larger related Caddo community and settlement system

Little Tennessee River and Calderwood Dam

The Little Tennessee River is seen in the foreground of this photograph with Calderwood Dam visible in the center. The image is looking downstream from the Narrows on Deals Gap Highway. This photograph, with others in this series, are included in the records of the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club, formed after a group of outdoor enthusiasts hiked up to Mount LeConte in October 1924. The back of the photograph is annotated H. C. Amick, who was a professor of geology at the University of Tennessee. Also on the back is stamped “Jim Thompson Co. Knoxville Master Photo Finishers,” indicating it was probably printed by hiking club member James E. (Jim) Thompson (1880-1976)

Little Tennessee River looking upstream

The Little Tennessee River is seen in the foreground of this photograph. The image is looking upstream from the Narrows on Deals Gap Highway. This photograph, with others in this series, are included in the records of the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club, formed after a group of outdoor enthusiasts hiked up to Mount LeConte in October 1924. The back of the photograph is annotated H. C. Amick, who was a professor of geology at the University of Tennessee. Also on the back is stamped “Jim Thompson Co. Knoxville Master Photo Finishers,” indicating it was probably printed by hiking club member James E. (Jim) Thompson (1880-1976)