| Research Archives |
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In 1994 under the direction of Alston Thoms, the Southern Texas Archaeological Association and CEA conducted a field school at two sites: the prehistoric Pampopa-Talon Crossings site (41BX528), and the historic Heermann Ranch site (41BX527).
Archaeological investigations at the Pampopa-Talon Crossings site yielded Perdiz arrowpoints, bone-tempered pottery, medium and large end-scrapers, as well as cobble tools designated as "slickstones" from deposits on the terrace top dated to the last 1,500 years.
The abundance of end-scrapers and slickstones suggests that hide-processing was an especially important activity at the site.
Test excavations at the Heermann Ranch site yielded an abundance of ceramic, glass, and metal artifacts from the late 1700s to present. A mid-nineteenth century household midden was located behind an 1886 rock barn, suggesting the presence of an historic residential structure at the site.
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1995 |
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In 1995 under the direction of Drs. Alston Thoms and David Kuehn and in cooperation with the Southern Texas Archaeological Association, CEA conducted archaeological investigations at the Richard Beene site (41BX831) on the Medina River about 15 miles south of San Antonio. Excavations in the 4,400-year-old upper-Medina pedocomplex yielded:
Diagnostic artifact types included Desmuke, Travis, and stemmed-point fragments similar to Bell, Andice, and Calf Creek points. The abundance of FCR suggests that food preparation was an important activity, with game animals and river mussels being among the food items consumed. Excavations in the 8,700-year-old upper Perez paleosol also yielded:
Diagnostic artifacts included Angostura points and Clear Fork tools. Cultural materials from these early Holocene deposits appear to represent short-term encampments with perhaps more intensive occupations and diverse activities than represented in the middle Holocene deposits. |
| Project Directors: Alston V. Thoms, David Kuehn | |
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