Archaeological Testing and Data Recovery at the Cibolo Preserve Menger Creek Site (41KE217), Kendall County, Texas

Between November 2011 and January of 2012, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) conducted archaeological test and data recovery excavations at site 41KE217, the Cibolo Preserve Menger Creek Site, within the City of Boerne in southeast Kendall County. Archaeological monitoring associated with the Boerne Wastewater Treatment Plant encountered site 41KE217. The project was performed under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 5490 with Dr. Steve Tomka acting as Principal Investigator. For the testing and data recovery excavations, Steve Ahr served as Project Archaeologist. The excavation of three backhoe trenches revealed two stratigraphically distinct cultural zones. The upper component consisted of a dense burned rock layer (Feature 1), which extended approximately 50 m (164 ft.) northeast-southwest and at least 15 m (49.2 ft.) southeast-northwest. Based on the range of temporally diagnostic dart points recovered from the component, it was de-posited during the Middle to Late Archaic Period (6000-3000 BP). Radiocarbon dates suggest that the component dates between 4090-3925 cal. BP (94.2% probability) and 5686-5468 cal. BP (95.4% probability). The lower component is associated with the Early Archaic Period and appears to date between 5586-5468 cal. BP (95.4% probability) and 7325-7170 cal. BP (93.9% probability). National Register of Historical Places (NRHP) eligibility testing followed the trenching and consisted of the hand excavation of four 1-x-1 m (3.28-x-3.28 ft.) test units. The upper component consisted of a multitude of intersecting burned rock features and a range of associated temporally diagnostic projectile points. In contrast, the lower component appeared to be strati-graphically separated from the overlying component, consisted of isolated burned rock hearths, and had a more limited range of temporally diagnostic artifacts. Based on these testing results, it was concluded that the lower component had the highest research potential, and CAR recommended that this component warranted listing to the NRHP and formal designation as a State Archeological Landmark (SAL). Formal data recovery efforts followed the Texas Historical Commission’s concurrence with this recommendation. The data recovery efforts focused on the lower component while the upper component was mechanically removed. A block grid was established, and twenty-six 1-x-1 m (3.28-x-3.28 ft.) units and seven 0.5-x-1 m (1.6-x-3.28 ft.) units were excavated. Thirteen burned rock hearth features were revealed, and several lithic tools, including diagnostic dart points, were recovered. Artifacts recovered during the project will be returned to the private landowner unless it is decided that a portion of the artifacts will be donated to the University for research purposes. All project documents are curated at the CAR facility.