Society Activities

2012 TAS Field School

June 9–16, 2012
Val Verde County, Texas

ANOTHER LOWER PECOS ADVENTURE IN 2012
by Margaret Howard and Luis Alvarado

Devil's River with mesas and canyons. Photo - Laurence Parent

Introduction

In June of 2012, TAS members will return to the Lower Pecos, after successful Field Schools in 1989 and 1999.  Investigations will focus on the south unit of Devils River State Natural Area, a new state park that is not yet open to the public.  TAS members will help to identify the most significant sites on this property, so that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) can protect them before the park opens to the public in 2013.  Margaret Howard and Luis Alvarado will serve as Co-Principal Investigators for this project, assisted by additional archeologists from the TPWD Cultural Resources Program.  Experienced TAS members will serve as crew chiefs and direct some aspects of the Field School.

Background

The south unit of Devils River State Natural Area is a 17,000 acre tract in southeastern Val Verde County.  The northern boundary of the property is 12 miles downstream from Devils River State Natural Area, where the 1989 TAS Field School was held.  Elevations range from 1,200 to 1,700 feet above sea level.  The level uplands are dissected by numerous deep canyons, while the 10 mile-long western boundary is all Devils River frontage.  The property is protected by a conservation easement held by the Texas Nature Conservancy, part of a basin-wide effort to preserve the Devils River watershed and restore wildlife habitat.

Devils River is one of the most pristine streams in Texas.  It has one of the highest base flows of any Texas river, and runs year-round south of Juno.  Its main sources are Pecan Springs and Dolan Springs, located near the north unit of Devils River State Natural Area.  The stretch of river along the south unit includes pools, runs, riffles, and occasional short rapids.  The main goal of Texas Parks and Wildlife for this property is to conduct science-based restoration of the land and its ecosystem, while allowing recreational opportunities that do not conflict with conservation goals.

The property was patented in the 1880s and has been used for ranching sheep and goats.  Between 1903 and 1914 it was divided into several ranches, but by the 1920s had been consolidated into three tracts that were part of the Miers, Goldwire-Whitehead, and Carruthers-Hinds ranches.  The tracts changed ownership frequently until 1995, when they were consolidated.  The property was sold to the Nature Conservancy in 2000, and Highland Homes builder Rodger Sanders purchased it in 2001.  During Sanders’ ownership over 30 miles of caliche roads were constructed, providing access to all corners of the ranch.  In 2010, Sanders offered the property to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on very generous terms, and anonymous donors raised the funds to secure its purchase.  Once opened to the public, it will be the south unit of Devils River State Natural Area.

Field School Activities

Field School attendees can choose among a variety of activities in 2012, including pedestrian survey, site testing, historic site surface collection, rock art recording, and artifact processing.  All of these efforts will help TPWD to identify, protect, and interpret the significant archeological sites on the south unit of Devils River State Natural Area.  The TAS Field School Committee will make every effort to match each participant with an activity suited to their interests, skills, and fitness level.

The main effort is a reconnaissance survey of the 17,000 acre property to locate the most significant sites: rockshelters, open camps, and burned rock middens.  The most agile TAS members will climb up to rockshelters and determine whether they have been occupied.  Members who would rather not climb hills and canyon walls will survey the canyon floors, looking for open camps and burned rock middens.  Basic site information will be noted on check box-style forms, and site locations will be recorded with TPWD GPS units to a sub-meter level of accuracy.

Around 30 adults will work on crews testing burned rock middens, and ca. 10 members will participate in systematically recording the artifacts and features scattered across an historic site.  A small crew led by Rock Art Task Force members will record fading imagery in a rockshelter.  Another small group will backfill potholes and restore the surface of the deposits in that large rockshelter, to protect them from vandalism.  Some 10 individuals will clean and process artifacts in a shaded, open air field laboratory.  The youth group will focus on excavating a large fire-cracked rock feature.

Rockshelters are a priority for protection on this property.  They are the most significant site type and may preserve perishable materials, rock imagery, and even human burials.  Forty two rockshelters have been recorded to date, most between 1985 and 1989 by a Texas Archeological Survey crew led by Solveig Turpin.  The TAS Rock Art Task Force has documented the two most significant rock art sites: Crab Shelter (41VV50) and Sunburst Shelter (41VV840).  We hope to double the number of known rockshelters, and discover one or more heretofore unknown rock art sites.

Open camps and burned rock middens will also be a priority for recording during the 2012 Field School.  The fire-cracked rock features and grinding tools on these sites indicate that they saw longer term occupation.  Solveig Turpin has proposed that most Lower Pecos burned rock middens date to the Middle Archaic, when a prolonged drought caused population densities to rise and bulk roasting of agave and sotol became necessary.  To test this theory, test excavations in four burned rock middens will seek materials datable by radiocarbon assay.

The likely location of the Henry Goldwire (1917-1928) and George Whitehead (1928-1950s) ranches also will be examined.  A crew will tally the types and ages of historic artifacts across a large grid, and try to pinpoint the locations of the earliest homestead and stock-raising facilities.  A sample of unique and time-diagnostic artifacts will be collected.

Recreation

After the work day is over, crews can relax and enjoy swimming in Amistad Reservoir near the TAS camp in the National Park Service San Pedro Campground, around 45 minutes from the south unit of Devils River State Natural Area.  This is the same campground that was used during the 1999 Field School.

Each field school attendee also will have at least two opportunities to join rock art tours or enjoy swimming, fishing, or kayaking on Devils River.  Advance sign-up for tour and river experiences will avoid damaging the fragile natural resources of the state natural area.  A few kayaks will be available for use, or you may opt to bring your own; PFDs/life jackets will be required.  Angling for large and small mouth bass, black bass, and catfish is excellent!  Be sure to carry your current fishing license.  Remember, TPWD is the agency that enforces fishing and water safety regulations, so you are likely to run into a game warden or two.

Summary

The 2012 Field School will offer TAS members an opportunity to participate in interesting and important activities that will expand knowledge of the long human history of Devils River and the region.  We anticipate that it will be a great experience, and invite you to join us in the fascinating Lower Pecos and enjoy the sparkling blue waters of Devils River! 

Reading List

The body of writing on Lower Pecos archeology is vast. Here are a few readily available reports that will provide some background on the types of sites likely to be found during the 2012 Field School.