Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Archaeological Investigations At The New Hope Site (41fk107) At Lake Bob Sandlin, Franklin County, Texas, Bo Nelson, Timothy K. Perttula, Leeanna Schniebs

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The New Hope site (41FK107) is a prehistoric site located on a toe slope landform overlooking the Big Cypress Creek valley, the latter now inundated by Lake Bob Sandlin. An old creek channel lies about 100m to the east. Previous investigations reported by Nelson and Perttula indicate that the New Hope site covers about 2.5 acres, and was occupied during Late Paleoindian, Middle-Late Archaic, Woodland, and post-A.D. 800 Caddo times.

The Caddo occupation was the principal occupation of the site. Nelson and Perttula noted at least 20-30 grave-sized looter holes there, and there have been reports that prehistoric burials have …

Archeological Investigations At The Polk Estates Site (41cp245), Camp County, Texas, Timothy K. Perttula, Bo Nelson

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The Polk Estates site (41CP245) is a prehistoric Caddo archaeological site in the Big Cypress Creek Basin, located just downstream of the confluence of Walkers Creek with Big Cypress Creek. This area is within the Pineywoods of northeastern Texas. It was also occupied in Woodland (ca. 500 B.C. to A.D. 800) and Late Archaic (ca. 2500-500 B.C.) periods, based on the recovery of temporally diagnostic dart points dating to these periods.

The site is on a natural rise (300-310 feet amsl) atop an upland inter-stream divide, less than 300 m west from the current channel of Big Cypress Creek. The …

The Lake Clear (41sm243) Site And Crotalus Horridus Atricaudatus, Mark Walters

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

I fell heir to a collection of prehistoric Caddo sherds from my late Uncle Sam Whiteside and a location on a 7.5’ topographic map labeled Lake Clear. Sam Whiteside during the period from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s was very active in the East Texas area working through the old East Texas Archeological Society headquartered in Tyler, Texas.

The name Lake Clear was vaguely familiar but a check of local maps failed to reveal its location. However, an older map jolted my memory. The lake had been built on east Mill Creek west of Winona, Texas, as a club …

From Mounds To Monasteries: A Look At Spiro And Other Centers Through The Use Of Metaphor, Robert L. Brooks

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

Previous study of the extensive and elaborate funerary offerings at the Spiro site have explained their presence by an exchange system with Spiro functioning as a gateway center. More recently, Schambach has argued extensively and passionately for Spiro’s role as an entrepôt redistributive center. However, this argument fails to account for much of the accumulation of funerary items present at Spiro. As an alternative, I propose that some ceremonial centers such as Spiro functioned solely as religious centers, much like the monasteries of medieval Europe with parallels in the use of architecture, economic support, relics, and the treatment of individuals …

Archeological Investigations At The Hudnall-Pirtle Site (41rk4) An Early Caddo Mound Center In Northeast Texas, James E. Bruseth, Timothy K. Perttula, Gayle J. Fritz, Bonnie C. Yates

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The Hudnall-Pirtle site (41RK4) is situated on a large T-1 alluvial terrace of the Sabine River in northern Rusk County in Texas. This area of the state, commonly called Northeast Texas, is part of the Southern Gulf Coastal Plain, a relatively level, sloping plain formed by the pre-Pleistocene embayment of the Gulf of Mexico.

From a biogeographical perspective, the site is located in the Oak-Hickory-Pine forest of eastern Texas, otherwise known as the Pineywoods. This area represents the western extension of the southern coniferous forests and is dominated by shortleaf and loblolly pine trees. Hardwood trees, including various oaks, hickory, …

Spatial Analysis Of Historic Cemeteries: Using High Spatial Resolution Imagery As A Visual Aid, Richard E. Brooks, Daniel Unger, I-Kuai Hung

Faculty Publications

Oak Grove Cemetery, located within the City of Nacogdoches in Nacogdoches County Texas, is one of the earliest cemeteries in the county dating to the early 1800’s. Several historic Texans are interred within this cemetery including Thomas J. Rusk and Charles S. Taylor who was the great-great-grandfather of current United States Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. Due to a fire circa 1910 many of the records for the original section of the cemetery were lost. In the summer of 2006, the GPS coordinates of each grave marker within the cemetery were plotted on a backdrop of 6 inch spatial resolution multispectral …

Archaeological Testing At 41bp679, Bastrop County, Texas, Cynthia Moore Munoz

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

During the spring of 2006 (May 11 through May 18, 2006), the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted testing at 41BP679, a site formally listed as a State Archaeological Landmark. Site 41BP679 is located in Bastrop County at the confluence of the Colorado River and Spring Branch Creek, one of its tributaries. The site is on land that is the proposed location for the City of Bastrop Wastewater Treatment Plant. The installation of outflow pipes will impact the northern portion of 41BP679. The testing was conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 4117, …

Archaeological Testing Associated With The Stabilization Of Room 4 At Mission San Juan Capistrano, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, Jennifer L. Thompson

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In May 2006, The Center for Archaeological Research excavated one test unit at the exterior north wall of Room 4, west of the chimney at Mission San Juan Capistrano. The excavation occurred to assess the condition of the foundation and the dimensions of a more recent concrete footing before restoration of the collapsed north wall. The excavation found disturbed deposits throughout the test unit, but was able to locate and record the architectural features for Ford, Powell, and Carson, Architects and Planners, Inc., the project sponsors. A composite map of all excavations conducted at the mission since 1931 is included …

Archaeological Testing For The Walker Ranch Park Bridge Project (41bx1271), San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, Barbara A. Meissner

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In April 2006 the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of the University of Texas at San Antonio was contracted by the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of San Antonio to perform subsurface investigations within the boundaries of site 41BX1251, in north-central San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The purpose of the testing was to learn if the concrete abutment of a planned pedestrian bridge over Salado Creek would impact significant archaeological deposits in this site, which is a part of the Walker Ranch National Historic District.

Five shovel tests and one backhoe trench were excavated. The shovel tests were …

Archaeological Testing At 41bp678, Bastrop County, Texas, Antonia L. Figueroa

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

During the spring of 2006 (April 27 through May 4, 2006), the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted testing at 41BP678, a site formally listed as a State Archaeological Landmark. Site 41BP678 is located in Bastrop County at the confluence of the Colorado River and Spring Branch Creek, one of its tributaries. The site is on land that is the proposed location for the City of Bastrop Wastewater Treatment Plant. The installation of outflow pipes and the excavation of a 500-foot deep water well and associated utilities installations will impact the central …

Testing Of A Portion Of Site 41wn104 In Advance Of Proposed Improvements To Jackson Nature Park, Stockdale, Wilson County, Texas, Antonia L. Figueroa

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

On July 25, 2006 the Center for Archaeological Research at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted archaeological testing on portions of 41WN104 located in the Jackson Nature Park in Wilson County, Texas. The archaeological work, performed for the Office of the Wilson County Judge, was conducted on portions of 41WN104 that will be impacted by park improvements. The proposed improvements for the Jackson Nature Park will consist of the construction of a pavilion, a headquarters building and the addition of a septic tank. The three planned facilities will be connected with water and utilities lines. The construction of …

Archeological Survey Report Of Fm 536 Improvements Project Near Floresville, Wilson County, Texas, Karla J. Córdova

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of the University of Texas at San Antonio was contracted by Civil Engineering Consultants, Inc. (CEC) of San Antonio to conduct an archeological survey of the proposed improvements within the right-of-way (ROW) of FM 536 near Floresville, Wilson County, Texas. The archeological work was necessary to address the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Antiquities Code of 1966, as amended. The archeological services were performed on behalf of CEC and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to identify any archeological properties that may be eligible for listing on the National Register …

Archaeological Survey Of The North Salado Greenway Belt, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, Antonia L. Figueroa, Kristi M. Ulrich

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

A pedestrian survey was conducted in March and May of 2006 along a portion of Salado Creek located between Blanco Road and Huebner Road in the northern part of San Antonio. The Center for Archaeological Research of The University of Texas at San Antonio, in conjunction with volunteers from the South Texas Archeological Association, carried out the survey to fulfill the requirements of the contract with Rehler Vaughn and Koone, Inc., of San Antonio. The work was conducted in advanced of construction of hike and bike trails proposed by the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of San Antonio. …

Intensive Pedestrian Survey Along The Banks Of The San Antonio River: Museum “Urban” Reach Section Of The San Antonio River Improvements Project, Bexar County, Texas, Antonia L. Figueroa, Kristi M. Ulrich, Christopher Caran, Charles A. Speer

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In the spring and fall of 2005, the Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio carried out reconnaissance and intensive pedestrian survey of the Museum “Urban” Reach portion of the San Antonio River Improvements Project in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The excavation of eight backhoe trenches and the stratigraphy of 17 auger boreholes revealed the San Antonio River and adjacent properties have been modified extensively since Spanish Colonial settlement. Due to the extensive modifications, the likelihood of encountering prehistoric and early historic sites along the Museum Reach portion of the San Antonio River is …

Data Recovery Excavations At 41pr44, Fort Wolters, Parker County, Texas, Raymond P. Mauldin, Antonia L. Figueroa

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

During the spring of 2004, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted data recovery excavations at site 41PR44 on Fort Wolters. The site had been surveyed and tested by the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (Brownlow 2001; Brownlow et al. 1999). The results of that testing suggested that the site contained a high density of burned rock features, chipped stone, and bone that dated to the Late Prehistoric period, with additional material possibly dating to the Late Archaic. Based on the testing, site 41PR44 was recommended as eligible for inclusion on the National …

Data Recovery Excavations At The J. B. White Site (41mm341), Milam County, Texas, E. Frances Gadus, Ross C. Fields, Karl W. Kibler

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In summer and fall 2002, personnel with Prewitt and Associates, Inc., undertook data recovery excavations at prehistoric site 41MM341 for the Texas Department of Transportation, Environmental Affairs Division, to address the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and the Texas Antiquities Code. Site 41MM341 is in central Milam County, Texas, just southeast of the town of Cameron, on a low rise in the modern floodplain of the Little River. The excavations were necessitated by the planned replacement of the State Highway 36 bridge spanning the Little River floodplain, which will directly affect the archeological deposits at …

National Register Testing At 41sv153, Somervell County, Texas, Timothy B. Griffith, Douglas K. Boyd

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

Archeological test excavations at 41SV153 were completed by Prewitt and Associates, Inc., in 2004 in conjunction with Texas Department of Transportation road improvements on State Highway 144 in eastern Somervell County. The site is situated in Holocene alluvial deposits adjacent to Squaw Creek, a tributary of the Brazos River. Excavations revealed sparse lithic artifacts, scattered burned rocks, and displaced burned rock features. No organic remains were recovered, and the age of the cultural occupations is not known. The portion of 41SV153 within the proposed construction easement is considered not eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or …

An Oral History Of Camp Swift: 2004 Interviews, Martha Doty Freeman, David L. Nickels, Thad Sitton

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The Adjutant General’s Department of Texas contracted with the Center for Archaeological Studies, Texas State University-San Marcos (CAS) to conduct an oral history project at Camp Swift in Bastrop County. The oral history project could provide information useful in determining National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility assessments of archaeological sites. The facility’s use by the Texas Army National Guard for military training began during World War II, and the Adjutant General’s Department has overseen management of cultural resources for the camp since the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act in 1965. Archaeological inventory of the area began as …

Sandyland Farmers: Life In The Countryside Before Camp Swift, 1920–1942, Thad Sitton

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

This Center for Archaeological Studies report uses oral history to explore the lost countryside through the words and memories of the Bastrop County sandyland farms that predated Camp Swift.

Archaeological Investigations At The Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site, Brazoria County, Texas, Carole Leezer

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

At the request of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), the Center for Archaeological Studies (CAS) at Texas State University-San Marcos conducted limited test excavations at the Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site (41BO165). The Levi Jordan Plantation was established by Levi Jordan in 1848. At its height, this antebellum sugar and cotton plantation sat on more than 2,000 acres of rich river bottomlands in the Gulf Coastal Plains of Brazoria County, Texas. Limited test excavations focused on areas around and within the main house, in addition to areas to be developed for interpretation and public access to the …

National Register Evaluation Of Eight Sites At Camp Swift Army National Guard Training Center, Bastrop County, Texas: Swift V, Jon C. Lohse, C. Britt Bousman

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The Texas Army National Guard (TXARNG) conducts military training on Camp Swift, an approximately 11,500-acre tract in northern Bastrop County, Texas. The TXARNG is responsible for complying with federal legislation regarding the assessment and management of environmental and cultural resources. An earlier cultural resources assessment by the Center for Archaeological Studies (CAS), Texas State University-San Marcos, conducted under compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NRHP), identifi ed 11 sites deemed potentially capable of contributing meaningful information on the record of prehistoric human occupation at Camp Swift. In particular, Criterion D of National Park Service Rule 36 …

Alternative Fuels And Advanced Technology Vehicles: Issues In Congress, Brent D. Yacobucci

Congressional Research Service Reports

Alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles are seen by proponents as integral to improving urban air quality, decreasing dependence on foreign oil, and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. However, major barriers — especially economics — currently prevent the widespread use of these fuels and technologies. Because of these barriers, and the potential benefits, there is continued congressional interest in providing incentives and other support for their development and commercialization.

In the 109th Congress, alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles have received a good deal of attention, especially in the debate over omnibus energy legislation. High fuel prices, especially in response …

Western Water Resource Issues, Betsy A. Cody, Pervaze A. Sheikh

Congressional Research Service Reports

For more than a century, the federal government has constructed water resource projects for a variety of purposes, including flood control, navigation, power generation, and irrigation. While most municipal and industrial water supplies have been built by non-federal entities, most of the large, federal water supply projects in the West, including Hoover and Grand Coulee dams, were constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation (Department of the Interior) to provide water for irrigation.

Growing populations and changing values have increased demands on water supplies and river systems, resulting in water use and management conflicts throughout the country, particularly in the West, …

U.S. Space Programs: Civilian, Military, And Commercial, Marcia S. Smith

Congressional Research Service Reports

The 109th Congress is addressing a broad range of civilian, military, and commercial space issues.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducts the most visible space activities. For FY2006, NASA received $16.623 billion when adjusted for two rescissions and an augmentation for hurricane recovery. The FY2007 request is $16.792 billion.

The future of the U.S. human space flight program is dominating debate about NASA. The space shuttle returned to flight in July 2005 after a two and one-half year hiatus following the 2003 Columbia tragedy, but the next launch has been indefinitely postponed because of a foam-shedding event during …

Human Cloning, Judith A. Johnson, Erin D. Williams

Congressional Research Service Reports

In December 2005, an investigation by Seoul National University, South Korea, found that scientist Hwang Woo Suk had fabricated results on deriving patientmatched stem cells from cloned embryos — a major setback for the field. In May 2005 Hwang had announced a significant advance in creating human embryos using cloning methods and in isolating human stem cells from cloned embryos. These developments have contributed to the debate in the 109th Congress on the moral and ethical implications of human cloning. Scientists in other labs, including Harvard University and the University of California at San Francisco, intend to produce cloned human …

The Bayh-Dole Act: Selected Issues In Patent Policy And The Commercialization Of Technology, Wendy H. Schacht

Congressional Research Service Reports

Congressional interest in facilitating U.S. technological innovation led to the passage of P.L. 96-517, Amendments to the Patent and Trademark Act (commonly referred to as the Bayh-Dole Act after its two main sponsors). The act grants patent rights to inventions arising out of government- sponsored research and development (R&D) to certain types of entities with the expressed purpose of encouraging the commercialization of new technologies through cooperative ventures between and among the research community, small business, and industry.

Patents provide an economic incentive for companies to pursue further development and commercialization. Studies have shown that research funding accounts for approximately …

Oversight Of Dual-Use Biological Research: The National Science Advisory Board For Biosecurity, Dana A. Shea

Congressional Research Service Reports

Policymakers have addressed the threat of biological weapons and biosecurity issues for many years. An issue garnering increased attention is the potential for life sciences research intended to enhance scientific understanding and public health to generate results that could be misused to advance biological weapon effectiveness. Such research has been called “dual-use” research because of its applicability to both biological countermeasures and biological weapons.

The federal government is a major source of life sciences research funding. Tension over the need to maintain homeland security and support scientific endeavor has led to renewed consideration of federal policies of scientific oversight. Balancing …

Mtbe In Gasoline: Clean Air And Drinking Water Issues, James E. Mccarthy, Mary Tiemann

Congressional Research Service Reports

As gasoline prices have risen in March and April 2006, renewed attention has been given to methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline additive being phased out of the nation’s fuel supply. Many argue that the phaseout of MTBE and its replacement by ethanol have been a major factor in driving up prices.

MTBE has been used by refiners since the late 1970s. It came into widespread use when leaded gasoline was phased out — providing an octane boost similar to that of lead, but without fouling the catalytic converters used to reduce auto emissions since the mid-1970s. MTBE has …

Science And Technology Policy: Issues For The 109th Congress, Frank Gottron

Congressional Research Service Reports

Science and technology have a pervasive influence over a wide range of issues confronting the nation. Decisions on how much federal funding to invest in research and development (R&D), and determining what programs have the highest priority, for example, may have implications for homeland security, new high technology industries, government/private sector cooperation in R&D, and myriad other areas.

This report indicates the sweep of science and technology in many public policy issues, although it cannot provide a comprehensive examination of every science or technology issue which may be of interest to Congress. In some areas, such as global climate change …

Stem Cell Research: State Initiatives, Judith A. Johnson, Erin D. Williams

Congressional Research Service Reports

Embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into virtually any cell in the body. Stem cells are used by scientists to study the growth and differentiation of individual cells into tissues. This work may provide insights into the causes of birth defects, genetic abnormalities, and other disease states, as well as potential treatments. The research is controversial, in the opinion of some, because the stem cells are located within the embryo and the process of removing them destroys the embryo. Some have argued that stem cell research should be limited to adult stem cells obtained from tissues such as …