Center for Archaeological Research
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12588/560
The Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) was established in 1974 to conduct archaeological research throughout Texas and the surrounding regions; carry out archaeological surveys and excavations for federal, state, and local agencies as required by legislation and executive order; provide public and private sector assistance and guidance regarding cultural resource management; provide students training opportunities in archaeological field and laboratory methods and technical writing; and disseminate to the general public information about the prehistory and history of Texas and San Antonio.
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Browsing Center for Archaeological Research by Subject "acequia"
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Item Archaeological Investigations for VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority Bus Charging Station, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas(Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2023-06-06) Wigley, Sarah; Yelacic, DavidFrom October to December 2022, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), in response to a request from VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority (VIA-MTA) conducted archaeological monitoring for proposed development at 1720 N. Flores Street in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. Monitored activities included trenching for electrical conduit and boreholes for canopy piers/supports. As the project area is located on VIA-MTA property, the project requires compliance with the Texas Antiquities Code and review under the Unified Development Code of the City of San Antonio (Article 6 35-630 to 35-634). The project was conducted under Antiquities Permit No. 30822. David Yelacic, CAR Director, served as the Principal Investigator, and Sarah Wigley served as the Project Archaeologist. The project area, spanning 2.7 acres (1.1 ha), is located immediately east of San Pedro Creek, within the current VIA bus parking lot at the VIA Metro Center. The primary concern was the known presence of the San Pedro Acequia (41BX337) within the project area (Cox 1986), as well as the project area’s proximity to San Pedro Springs Park (41BX19; Mauldin et al. 2015). Sparse historic materials were recovered during the course of archaeological monitoring. No cultural features were recorded and no evidence of the San Pedro Acequia was encountered. However, based on the sensitivity of the area, the CAR recommends monitoring of any future ground-disturbing activities that have impacts below the pavement within the project area. All artifacts collected and records generated during the course of this project are curated in accordance with THC guidelines at the CAR under accession 2714.Item Archaeological Monitoring Along North Main and Soledad with State Antiquities Landmark Testing of 41BX2164 and 41BX2170, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas(Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2020-03) Kemp, Leonard; Zapata, José E.From October 2016 through December 2017, The University of Texas at San Antonio's (UTSA) Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) conducted archaeological monitoring for the Downtown Street Reconstruction Project at North Main Avenue and Soledad Street (DTSR-Main/Soledad) under contract with Poznecki-Camarillo, Inc. (PCI) for the City of San Antonio (COSA). Supplementary project funds came from CPS Energy (CPS) and San Antonio Water System (SAWS) for the replacement of existing gas, water, and sewer utilities (COSA 2017). Additional ground disturbing activities included upgrading storm pipes and boxes, as well as laying electric conduits for streetlights. As a political subdivision under the Antiquities Code of Texas Section 191.003(4) and according to the Unified Development Code (UDC) Chapter 35, the COSA is required to consider the impact of ground disturbing activities to known or potential archaeological sites and/or deposits and to avoid or mitigate those effects. As such, the COSA Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) in coordination with COSA's Transportation and Capital Improvements (TCI), the agency managing the project, considered specific areas of concern that may likely contain intact archaeological features and deposits or features that are considered historical and culturally significant. The southern portion of the project lies within the Main and Military Plazas National Register Historic District, which was the primary focus of the archaeological monitoring reported here. This project was conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 7816 issued to Dr. Paul Shawn Marceaux, the original Principal Investigator. Dr. Marceaux departed CAR in 2019. The permit was then transferred to Cynthia Munoz. Leonard Kemp served as the Project Archaeologist for the monitoring portion of the project and the testing of site 41BX2164. José Zapata served as the Project Archaeologist for the testing of site 41BX2170. CAR archaeologists documented eight new archaeological sites, 32 features, and collected over 2,000 artifacts and samples. The CAR also documented the location of a portion of the San Pedro Acequia (41BX337), which was already listed as eligible for inclusion to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The location of this portion of the San Pedro Acequia was updated using the online TexSite registry. In addition to these sites, in situ sections of wood block street pavers (Feature 22) were found in the 100 block of N. Main Avenue. Pavers were also recovered in the 100 block of Soledad Street, but they were not in their original context. Of the eight new sites, the CAR recommends that two are eligible for inclusion to the NRHP and designation as Texas State Antiquities Landmarks (SALs). These sites are 41BX2164, associated with the Veramendi House, and 41BX2170, a site containing components from the Spanish Colonial and Republic of Texas periods. Site 41BX2170 also contained foundation remnants of the Wolfson Building, a nineteenth- and twentieth-century mercantile store. While both sites have been impacted by previous construction, they contained sufficient integrity to preserve intact deposits, which would add to the current understanding of these early periods of San Antonio{s development. The CAR recommends that 41BX2164 and 41BX2170 are eligible for inclusion to the NRHP under Criterion D (36 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 60.4). The CAR also recommends that 41BX2164 and 41BX2170 warrant SAL status because both sites can contribute to the knowledge of the Spanish Colonial Period and because they played a significant role in the history of Texas. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) and the COSA OHP concurred with these recommendations. Five sites are recommended as not eligible for inclusion to the NRHP. These sites are 41BX2163 (San Antonio Streetcar System), 41BX2166 (Jack Harris Vaudeville Theatre and Saloon), 41BX2165 (Bexar County Courthouse), 41BX2202 (Devine Building), and 41BX2203. These five sites had been significantly impacted by previous construction that affected their integrity, and none contained features (e.g., a midden) or artifact assemblages that would increase our knowledge of the Spanish Colonial Period or the history of Texas. The THC and the COSA OHP concurred with these recommendations. One site, 41BX2201, contained a Spanish Colonial-period wall and midden. The site was documented; however, no further testing was conducted. The CAR cannot determine the eligibility of the site to the NRHP based on the limited data collected. The CAR recommends that if the site is endangered by future impacts that the site be tested to determine its eligibility status. The THC and the COSA OHP concurred with this recommendation. Artifacts collected from the project, as well as all project related documents and a copy of this report, are curated at the CAR facility. The facility is a state certified repository on the UTSA campus.Item Archaeological Survey for 821 Probandt Subdivision Plat, San Antonio, Texas(2021-12-13) Wigley, SarahOn July 21, 2021, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) completed an archaeological survey with backhoe trenching within a 0.37 ha (0.91-acre) private lot located in south-central San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The work was conducted in response to a request from 602 Roosevelt, LLC, in advance of development of the property. The City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation (COSA-OHP) requested an archaeological survey prior to development during the re-platting process due to concerns about the possible presence of the San Pedro Acequia (41BX337), a portion of the city’s Spanish colonial irrigation system, on the property. The project falls under the Historic Preservation and Design Section of the COSA Unified Development Code, with COSA-OHP having review authority. Sarah Wigley served as the Project Archaeologist and Dr. Raymond Mauldin served as the Principal Investigator. Backhoe trenching was conducted in areas of the property identified by archival resources as potential locations of the acequia. In total three backhoe trenches (BHTs) were excavated. Feature 1, a shallow, unlined ditch feature lacking cultural material, was recorded in the southwestern portion of the property, in alignment with the trajectory of the acequia depicted on an 1889 map. The feature was recorded as a section of site 41BX337, and avoidance of impact to the feature is recommended. No artifacts were collected during the course of the project. Records generated during the course of the project are permanently curated at the CAR as accession number 2441.