 2002
Field School
Introduction
The 2002 TAS Field School was held in central Texas, from June
8th through the 15th. We received a large number of inquiries from people
interested in returning to Bowmer (prehistoric), William-Buck (historic) and
survey areas, and so expected a large turnout for the 2002 return to Bell and
Williamson Counties.
Field School Venue
That portion of the Edwards Plateau, known as the Lampasas Cut
Plain, was the geographic setting of the field school. It was dissected
limestone plateau country with rolling hills and easterly-flowing drainages that
are part of the Brazos River system. Prominent among these drainages are
the Lampasas and San Gabriel rivers as well as the Salado Creek drainage.
Just east of the Cut Plain is a distinctive area of the Gulf Coastal Plain known
as the Black (or Blackland) Prairie.A low escarpment that marks the boundary
between the Black Prairie and the Lampasas Cut Plain  is
part of the great Balcones Fault trend. Hunter-gatherers living near the
escarpment enjoyed ready access to the contrasting resources of the limestone
upland and the coastal plain, two areas that differ in their bedrock, soils,
flora, and fauna. Where valleys have been cut into the edge of the
Lampasas Cut Plain, optimal localities for habitation sites abound. Springs and
streams, chert, plant resources, and game are concentrated together in these
valleys, and, expectedly, numerous archeological sites are also found there.
As with last year, these valleys and their abundant sites were the focus of the
2002 TAS Field School.
We continued excavations at the historic Williams-Buck
homestead in the San Gabriel valley, the site of 2001 youth group operations.
Additional work took place at the Bowmer Site and nearby localities.
Finally reconnaissance assessed selected areas in Bell County for geologic
relevance to prehistoric human activity and document sites noted.
Join the TAS to
receive registration information for the 2003 TAS Field School.
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