期刊名称：Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State
印刷版ISSN：2475-9333
出版年度：2013
卷号：2013
期号：1
页码：2
出版社：Stephen F. Austin State University
摘要：Prehistoric site 41MI96 in Mills County, Texas was subjected to archeological data recovery excavations by staff archeologists from the Archeological Studies Program of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in May 1999. This work followed an initial environmental review by TxDOT personnel that concluded that a proposed bridge replacement and associated realignment of a county road (CSJ: 0923- 23-011) had a high probability to impact previously unrecorded archeological sites. Subsequently, an archeological impact evaluation was conducted by TxDOT staff archeologists, under the direction of Dr. G. Lain Ellis. TxDOT investigations were conducted under Texas Antiquities Committee Permit No. 2193 to perform data recovery efforts at 41MI96 prior to development impacts. In 2012, TRC Environmental Corporation (TRC) of Austin was contracted by the Environmental Affairs Division of TxDOT through Work Authorization 57-109SA003 to conduct analysis on the recovered remains and complete a technical report of TxDOT’s field investigations and TRC’s laboratory findings in fulfillment of TxDOTs’ Antiquities permit. Data recovery excavations consisted of the excavation of four mechanical trenches across two creek terraces (T1 and T2) and hand-excavations in two small blocks (Blocks 1 and 2) within the TxDOT right-of-way on the northwestern side of the project area. Hand-excavations in both blocks were initiated to target newly discovered burned rock concentrations encountered in the bottom of backhoe scrapings. A total 5.5 m3 of manualexcavation was completed, which was comprised of 16 total 1-by-1 m units, 11 in Block 1, and 5 in Block 2. Cultural materials were dominated by ca. 602 burned rocks and 2,846 pieces of lithic debitage, 89 informal and formal tools, but lacked diagnostic artifacts and faunal material. Six small, intact burned rock features were identified in Block 1 and were the focus of laboratory analyses. The scattered burned rocks and debitage from Block 2 were only tabulated and discussed in a general way, as TxDOT personnel believed they were in mixed context. The six small burned rock features ranged in size from 33 to 100 cm in diameter and represented four intact heating elements (two with basins and two without), plus two small burned rock discard piles. Radiocarbon dating of organic residues in nine burned rocks from five intact features indicates multiple occupations over a span of roughly 700 years from 820 to 1450 B.P. (cal A.D. 560 to 1270). The lack of recorded depth measurements for cultural materials, combined with limited sediment deposition between the successive
关键词：TxDOT; Mills County; Data Recovery; Phase III; TRC Environmental Corporation; Texas Antiquities Committee Permit Number 2193
