An archaeological survey of Walker Ranch Park, Bexar County, Texas

The Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted an intensive surface survey and subsurface testing for cultural resources at the proposed Walker Ranch Park, in northwest San Antonio, Bexar County. Disturbances associated with the park are to include the construction of a parking lot, playground, pavilion, walking/jogging trail, ramps and traffic paths for wheelchair access to the park, and the installation of utility and drainage lines associated with these facilities. The project was carried out under contract with the city of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department between December 1 and 4, 1997. The project consisted of three tasks: 1) the excavation of 10 backhoe trenches; 2) the excavation of 35 shovel tests, and 3) the intensive pedestrian survey of approximately 4.0 acres of the park. Buried cultural materials were encountered at a depth of 60-100 cm below surface (bs) in two backhoe trenches (BHTs 8 and 9) located along Panther Springs Creek. These remains are redeposited and have no potential for archaeological interpretations. Small numbers of chipped stone flakes were noted primarily in Level 3 (20-30 cm bs) in shovel tests excavated along the north-central and south-central portions of the exercise trail. Widely scattered individual chipped stone artifacts were observed throughout the park. In addition, two small concentrations of historic artifacts and a partially quarried limestone block were identified by the pedestrian survey. The material concentrations have a late nineteenth-to early twentieth-century date range. The partially quarried limestone block probably dates to the mid-nineteenth century. The thin surface scatter of prehistoric artifacts, the shallowly buried specimens, the two historic artifact concentrations, and the partially quarried limestone block are designated as the multicomponent site 41BX1271. CAR recommends that as long as subsurface disturbances are limited to the upper 20 cm in the north-central and south-central portions of the exercise trail, they will not impact potentially buried components. Deeper subsurface disturbances in other portions of site 41BX1271 at Walker Ranch Park will not adversely affect significant cultural resources.