Archaeological Monitoring of the CKT M171 Pole Replacements Project in Bexar County, Texas

Beginning in August of 2020 through April of 2021, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) conducted archaeological monitoring of 20 CPS Energy (CPS) pole locations west of downtown San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas in response to a request from Adams Environmental, Inc. (AEI). The project area encompassed 42 pole locations. The project area is located on City of San Antonio (COSA) right of way (ROW) property. At the municipal level, the property falls under COSA’s Unified Development Code (UDC) (Article 6 35-630 to 35-634). The project also required review by the Texas Historical Commission (THC) under the Antiquities Code of Texas. CAR obtained Texas Antiquities Permit No. 9426 prior to the beginning of fieldwork. Sarah Wigley served as the Project Archaeologist and Dr. Raymond Mauldin served as the Principal Investigator during the fieldwork portion of the project, while Cynthia Munoz served as Principal Investigator during the report production.

The broad area in which the poles were located spans 152 ha. (377 acres) bounded by Ruiz Street to the north, El Paso Street to the south, Navidad Street to the west, and Colorado Street to the east, although only the ROW portions are included within the project area. Twenty of the 42 poles were monitored. After consultation with CPS, it was determined that the remainder of the pole holes were excavated without notifying the CAR. CPS informed the THC that this occurred. THC determined that no action was required regarding the permit violation. Cultural resources of concern included nearby historical sites as well as the potential for deposits related to the Battle of Alazàn Creek. No evidence of intact cultural deposits or cultural features was observed during monitoring. The CAR does not recommend any further work. All records generated during the course of this project are curated as accession number 2790.