National Register Eligibility Testing of Sites 41BP471, 41BP477, and 41BP666, on Camp Swift, Bastrop County, Texas

The Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility testing of three archaeological sites, 41BP471, 41BP477, and 41BP666, on Camp Swift, a Texas Military Department (TMD) training facility located in Bastrop County, Texas. The project was conducted in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended, as well as the Camp Swift section of the TMD’s Installation Cultural Resource Management Plan (ICRMP). While not accomplished under a Texas Antiquities Permit, the investigation of the three sites was conducted in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Antiquities Code of Texas. The testing was performed under Interagency Cooperation Agreement TX17-2053-ENV, with Dr. Raymond Mauldin serving as Principal Investigator and Leonard Kemp serving as Project Archaeologist. CAR excavated 14 1-x-1 m test units and screened approximately 18.5 m3 of deposits from the three sites in October and November of 2020. CAR identified two burned rock features, one at site 41BP477 and another at site 41BP666. CAR collected 429 pieces of chipped stone debitage, a core, and a small number of chipped stone tools (n=5) including bifaces, edge modified flakes, and a projectile point from the current investigation. In addition, CAR collected 1275 pieces of burned rock weighing approximately 23,488 g. During the current investigation one diagnostic, a Middle Archaic Nolan-like point was found at 41BP471 during this testing. This is only the second Middle Archaic point found on the base. Three charred samples were submitted from 41BP471 and two samples from site 41BP477 to DirectAMS for radiocarbon dating. The calibrated radiocarbon dates fall within the Late Archaic and Late Prehistoric periods as is common for radiocarbon dates from Camp Swift and the surrounding region. CAR used three interrelated research domains to determine the NRHP eligibility of the three sites. These criteria are the chronological potential of a site, the integrity of a site, and the content of a site. Based upon these analyses, CAR recommends that 41BP471, 41BP477, and 41BP66 should be considered eligible for listing to the NRHP. Following analyses and quantification, artifacts associated with this project possessing little scientific value were discarded pursuant to Chapter 26.27(g)(2) of the Antiquities Code of Texas and in consultation with both the TMD and the Texas Historical Commission. All remaining cultural materials and all records obtained and/or generated during the project were prepared in accordance with federal regulation 36 CFR part 79 and THC requirements for State Held-in-Trust collections and placed in Accession File 2471.