An Archaeological Survey of 90 Acres at Camp Bowie, Brown County, Texas

In February, March, and May of 2001, personnel from the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR), The University of Texas at San Antonio, conducted a cultural resource inventory survey, involving pedestrian survey and shovel testing, of an approximately 90-acre (364,060 m2) tract of land in a plowed field on Camp Bowie, Brown County, Texas. A total of 104 shovel tests were systematically placed within the 90-acre area. The survey identified three prehistoric sites, all lithic scatters defined by surface material. Twelve additional shovel tests were placed on these three sites. An arrow point fragment, collected from the surface of 41BR499, suggests a Late Prehistoric affiliation for this site. Dart points collected from 41BR500 suggest a Late Archaic use of this area. Finally, an arrow point, collected from 41BR501, suggests a Late Prehistoric component at this site. In addition, a single whole mano was collected from the surface of 41BR500. Based on the results of the pedestrian survey and the overall condition of the sites, CAR suggests that two of the sites (41BR499 and 41BR501) lack data of sufficient quality or quantity to address regional research questions. In the case of both 41BR499 and 41BR501, the sites appear to be primarily surface phenomena that have been impacted by plowing and are not recommended for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, or for designation as State Archeological Landmarks. In the case of 41BR500, while much of the site appears to be disturbed by plowing and trenching activities, a portion of the site situated along the edge of the field has not been disturbed. Subsurface deposits are present in this unplowed area and shovel test results, supported by high soil susceptibility values, suggest the presence of a buried feature. In addition, 41BR500 contains both high artifact density and variety, and the recovery of diagnostic projectile points suggest a Late Archaic temporal placement. As such, CAR recommends that 41BR500 is potentially eligible for inclusion to the National Register of Historic Places, and designation as a State Archeological Landmark. Further testing of this site in the undisturbed portion is recommended to determine final eligibility status

Archaeological Testing to Determine the National Register Eligibility Status of 18 Prehistoric Sites on Camp Bowie, Brown County, Texas Volume 2

Between the fall of 1999 and the summer of 2001, archaeologists from the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted National Register Eligibility testing on 18 prehistoric sites within Camp Bowie in Brown County, Texas. The work was conducted for the Texas Army National Guard. The sites were recommended for testing during an inventory survey of Camp Bowie conducted between 1993 and 1998 (Wormser and Sullo-Prewitt 2001). Sixteen of the 18 sites tested contained burned rock middens. It was on the basis of that feature type that these sites were recommended for testing. Two sites (41BR261 and 41BR276) lacked burned rock middens, but Wormser and Sullo-Prewitt (2001) recommended these sites for testing based on the presence of diagnostic projectile points and the potential for buried features. As burned rock middens were a major element of the recommendations, much of this report focused on understanding those feature types. In all, 19 middens were tested. On the basis of these testing efforts, CAR recommends that 12 sites (41BR65, 41BR87, 41BR228, 41BR246, 41BR250, 41BR253, 41BR420, 41BR433, 41BR473, 41BR478, 41BR492, and 41BR493) should be considered eligible for inclusion to the National Register of Historic Places and warrant designations as State Archeological Landmarks. Either avoidance of these locations, or some form of mitigation on portions of these sites, will be necessary. Our testing suggests that the remaining sites either lack clear evidence of significant data (41BR261 and 41BR276) or have data of questionable integrity (41BR415, 41BR441, 41BR474, and 41BR480). In these cases, CAR recommends that these sites are not eligible for inclusion to the National Register of Historic Places and they do not warrant designation as State Archeological Landmarks

Archaeological Testing to Determine the National Register Eligibility Status of 18 Prehistoric Sites on Camp Bowie, Brown County, Texas Volume 1

Between the fall of 1999 and the summer of 2001, archaeologists from the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted National Register Eligibility testing on 18 prehistoric sites within Camp Bowie in Brown County, Texas. The work was conducted for the Texas Army National Guard. The sites were recommended for testing during an inventory survey of Camp Bowie conducted between 1993 and 1998 (Wormser and Sullo-Prewitt 2001). Sixteen of the 18 sites tested contained burned rock middens. It was on the basis of that feature type that these sites were recommended for testing. Two sites (41BR261 and 41BR276) lacked burned rock middens, but Wormser and Sullo-Prewitt (2001) recommended these sites for testing based on the presence of diagnostic projectile points and the potential for buried features. As burned rock middens were a major element of the recommendations, much of this report focused on understanding those feature types. In all, 19 middens were tested. On the basis of these testing efforts, CAR recommends that 12 sites (41BR65, 41BR87, 41BR228, 41BR246, 41BR250, 41BR253, 41BR420, 41BR433, 41BR473, 41BR478, 41BR492, and 41BR493) should be considered eligible for inclusion to the National Register of Historic Places and warrant designations as State Archeological Landmarks. Either avoidance of these locations, or some form of mitigation on portions of these sites, will be necessary. Our testing suggests that the remaining sites either lack clear evidence of significant data (41BR261 and 41BR276) or have data of questionable integrity (41BR415, 41BR441, 41BR474, and 41BR480). In these cases, CAR recommends that these sites are not eligible for inclusion to the National Register of Historic Places and they do not warrant designation as State Archeological Landmarks

National Register Testing at 41HM46, Hamilton County, Texas: CR 294 Bridge Replacement at the Leon River

Prewitt and Associates, Inc., conducted test excavations at site 41HM46 in Hamilton County, Texas, to determine its eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The work was performed in September 2003 in conjunction with a proposed bridge replacement on County Road 294 over the Leon River. The excavations consisted of three backhoe trenches, eight shovel tests, and seven hand-dug test units totaling 7 m3. Excavations yielded a small assemblage of chipped stone artifacts (tools, cores, and unmodified debitage), two features, and other cultural materials that appear to be associated with occupations ranging from the Late Archaic to possibly the Late Prehistoric. Although most of the artifacts and other cultural materials were recovered from an undisturbed cumulic soil, there was no clear vertical separation of deposits or discrete components. The low artifact frequency, lack of well-defined features, and scarcity of potential temporal indicators such as diagnostic tools or charcoal for radiocarbon dating make the site unlikely to yield important information. Based on these factors, it is recommended that 41HM46 be judged ineligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places

Bioarchaeological Investigations of Nineteenth-Century African American Burials at the Pioneer Cemetery (41BO202) in Brazoria, Texas

A search for unmarked graves in the state-owned right of way and underneath the pavement of State Highway 332 resulted in the discovery and archeological excavation of 11 unmarked graves associated with Pioneer Cemetery, an African American burial ground in Brazoria, Texas. Prewitt and Associates, Inc., conducted the fieldwork for the Texas Department of Transportation’s Archeological Studies Program. Between 2008 and 2012, the 11 unmarked graves were discovered, exhumed, analyzed, and then reinterred in Pioneer Cemetery in September 2012. This report describes the bioarcheological investigations of those burials along with 3 other unmarked burials that were previously exhumed and reburied in 2003. The mortuary remains, especially the manufacturing dates on the coffin hardware, indicate that the 14 exhumed burials date to the late-nineteenth century and early-twentieth centuries. Based on the osteological evidence, the deceased persons were 5 women, 2 men, 2 indeterminate adults, and 5 children. Seven of the 14 individuals display skeletal traits indicating that they are of African descent, but 2 indeterminate adults and 5 children do not. Based on historical evidence, it is likely that all 14 individuals were African Americans, and several of the older individuals may have been born into slavery. These 14 burials do not constitute a representative sample of the African Americans in Brazoria County or the town of Brazoria, but they are an interesting and historically significant burial population nonetheless. The overall health status of these people was generally good, with no evidence of abnormally high pathologies. However, skeletal remains of several older individuals exhibited evidence of various forms of degenerative joint disease indicative of lives spent doing hard labor. One adult male had an amputated leg and an iron and wooden prosthesis; it is not known if the loss of his leg was due to violence, accidental trauma, or disease. Several of the Pioneer burials exhibit traits that may represent mortuary behaviors of African origin. Three individuals had vaulted burials, with the casket or coffin located inside a shaft under a protective wooden arch. One adult female was buried with a complete whiteware saucer and a bird talon that was partially wrapped in gold plating and may have been worn as a necklace

Testing and Data Recovery Excavations at 41BU51, Burleson County, Texas

Prewitt and Associates, Inc. (PAI), conducted archeological testing and data recovery excavations at prehistoric site 41BU51 in Burleson County, Texas, for the Texas Department of Transportation, Environmental Affairs Division, in three phases of investigation. The first phase of testing, conducted in Spring 2003, resulted in the discovery of a single human burial as well as diagnostic artifacts ranging from the Archaic period through the Late Prehistoric period. A second phase of testing was conducted to search for additional burials in January 2004. This work resulted in the discovery of three additional burials and two isolated human bones. Finally, data recovery to remove the human remains was conducted in June 2007. This report describes all three phases of work. Analysis of the data recovered indicates that 41BU51 has a Late Archaic component that contributed many or even most of the lithic artifacts, most of the burned rocks and burned clay, some or all of the ceramic artifacts, and probably all of the human burials. Materials representing Late Prehistoric period occupations also are present, and the possibility exists that large numbers of the lithic artifacts in the upper 60 cm of the deposits were left by these occupations. A small number of artifacts predating the Late Archaic period were recovered, but these are older items recycled into younger deposits. Radiocarbon dates indicate that the Late Archaic and Late Prehistoric use of the site occurred over perhaps 3,200 to 3,600 years. The vertical distributions of the temporally sensitive artifacts and the radiocarbon dates, while hinting at some remnant time-related stratification of the cultural materials, make it clear that there has been much mixing of the deposits, presumably through faunal turbation and other forms of disturbance. With this degree of mixing, it is impossible to segregate the remains by time period or more-discrete components. Nonetheless, the archeological remains recovered indicate that 41BU51 was used intermittently over a long span of time, probably as a residential campsite, with some occupations during the Late Archaic period perhaps being for extended periods of time

Testing And Data Recovery Excavations At The Jayroe Site (41HM51), Hamilton County, Texas

In 2003–2004, Prewitt and Associates, Inc., performed National Register of Historic Places testing and subsequent data recovery excavations at the Jayroe site (41HM51) in Hamilton County for the Texas Department of Transportation, Environmental Affairs Division, under Texas Antiquities Permit Nos. 3211 and 3405. The investigations were prompted by the planned replacement of the County Road 294 bridge at the Leon River (CSJ No. 0909-29-030), in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and its implementing regulations (36 CFR Part 800) and the Antiquities Code of Texas. Testing consisted of the excavation of 6 backhoe trenches and 19 test units, and the data recovery work consisted mainly of hand excavation of 153 contiguous 1x1-m units within a single block, with 2 backhoe trenches and 2 manual units apart from the block excavation. Combined, the testing and data recovery identified 16 cultural features interpreted as 3 open hearths, 4 shallow earth ovens or surface hearths, 8 scatters of various kinds of debris, and 1 knapping station. The excavations recovered 322 chipped stone tools, 26 cores, 6,589 pieces of unmodified debitage, 21 ground or battered stone tools, 38 potential pigment sources, 43 ceramic sherds, 15 modified bone artifacts, 7,649 animal bones, 1,200 mussel shells, and macrobotanical remains. Four analytical units are defined for the site, only one of which—the Toyah phase component— has much interpretive potential. It is interpreted as a campsite used at least several times, mostly in the a.d. 1470s, at which butchering of mostly bison and deer, late-stage lithic tool manufacture and repair, and other maintenance tasks figured prominently in the site activities. The artifacts recovered and records generated by the project are curated at the Center for Archaeological Studies, Texas State University