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：2014
卷号：2014
期号：1
页码：7
出版社：Stephen F. Austin State University
摘要：The Bryan District of Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) proposes to replace the existing bridge at the San Gabriel River along a farm-to-market road and expand the width of the existing two-lane roadway in Milam County (CSJ: 0590-05-027). In response to that proposed development, TxDOT staff archeologists from the Archeological Studies Program in Austin reviewed the Texas Historical Commission (THC) Archeological Sites Atlas, a database which contains previously documented cultural resource sites, and conducted an intensive archeological field survey with mechanical trenching along the proposed area of potential effect (APE) in February 2012. During that survey a buried prehistoric site (41MM382), named the Barrett site, was discovered in Backhoe Trench 7 at the northern end of the APE and on the western edge of the existing roadway. The 1.75 meter (m) deep trench revealed multiple levels/zones of cultural material, which included chipped stone debitage and tools, freshwater mussel shells, and burned rocks. These same types of cultural materials were also observed on the disturbed surface in the spoil from the right-of-way fence posts and a recently installed waterline through the length of the site. Subsequently, TxDOT, through the Environmental Affairs Division, Archeological Studies Program, contracted with TRC Environmental Corporation (TRC) (Scientific Services Contract No. 57- 1XXSA003) to conduct site eligibility assessment to determine if this prehistoric site was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and designation as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL). TxDOT issued Work Authorization 57-111SA003 to TRC to conduct the fieldwork, subsequent analysis, report the findings, and make recommendations concerning the site’s eligibility for the NRHP and for designation as a SAL. The TRC fieldwork was conducted in May 2012 under Texas Antiquities Committee Permit No. 6244 issued to J. M. Quigg (Principal Investigator). Site eligibility/assessment investigations, directed by P. M. Matchen (Project Archeologist), consisted of excavation of 4 mechanical trenches (ca. 42 linear meters) plus 11.4 m3 of hand-excavations in 9 test units (1.00-by-0.5 m) to a depth of roughly 1.6 m below surface across the APE as defined by TxDOT, plus initial geoarcheological assessment of the deposits in the APE. The excavations yielded a sample of 3,123 artifacts, dominated by lithic debitage (49 percent), burned rocks (38 percent) and fragments of freshwater mussel shells (8 percent), as well as 8 formal chipped stone tools that include 3 diagnostic projectile points. Twelve radiocarbon dates from noncultural materials (humates and Rabdotus shells) indicate
