Archaeological Monitoring of Transformer Installation and Underground Cable Excavations at 613 Mission Road, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

On December 16-17, 2019, and January 6-8, 2020, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted archaeological monitoring at 613 Mission Road in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The work was performed in response to a request by Adams Environmental, Inc. (AEI) for underground primary cabling and transformer installation by CPS Energy. At the municipal level, the project falls under the City of San Antonio’s (COSA) Historic Preservation and Design Section of the Unified Development Code (Article 6 35-630 to 35-634). Projects conducted on public lands are subject to the Texas Antiquities Code and require review by the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The work was conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 9171. Cynthia Munoz served as Principal Investigator on the project, and Mikaela Razo served as Project Archaeologist. Excavations on the APE consisted of a trench for primary cabling, measuring approximately 16.4 m (54 ft.) in length, 0.6 m (2 ft.) in width, and 1.0-2.2 m (40-88 in.) in depth, and an excavation for the installation of a transformer, measuring 1.3-x-1.2-x-1.2 m (50-x-48-x-48 in.). No cultural features or diagnostic artifacts were encountered during excavations. The CAR recommends that construction proceed as planned. However, in the unlikely case that archaeological features and/or artifacts are uncovered, the CAR recommends that work cease and that AEI, CPS, COSA-OHP, and the THC be notified immediately. The THC concurs with CAR’s recommendations. All records generated during this project were curated at the CAR in accordance with THC guidelines.