Article Title

Intensive Linear Pedestrian Survey of Callaghan Road Between Ingram and Bandera Roads and Along Zarzamora Creek, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

Authors

Jennifer L. Thompson

Agency

Center for Archaeological Research

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21112/ita.2007.1.1

Abstract

November 15 and 16, 2006, The Center for Archaeological Research at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted an intensive survey of 3.5 miles of Callaghan Road between Ingram and Bandera Roads and along Zarzamora Creek in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The City of San Antonio is planning to widen this section of Callaghan Road and to re-channelize Zarzamora Creek north of Callaghan Road to alleviate flooding in the area. The intensive linear survey was conducted under the Texas Antiquities Permit No. 4320 with Steve A. Tomka serving as Principal Investigator and Jennifer L Thompson as Project Archeologist. This project serves to satisfy the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

The project area is in urban west San Antonio and crosses both residential and commercial zones. Buried utilities along Callaghan Road and Zarzamora Creek cross the entire length of the project area. Sections of new right-of-way (ROW) that are relatively undeveloped were selected for shovel testing while both side of Zarzamora Creek were examined by backhoe trenches and shovel tests in efforts to find deeply buried cultural deposits. Other sections of the roadway are paved making subsurface examination difficult. Because of the level of development, CAR targeted approximately .35 miles of the 1.5 new ROW along Callaghan Road. At Zarzamora Creek, wetland mitigation and efforts to reduce flooding will impact 2.31 acres. CAR excavated backhoe trenches and shovel tests in portions of this area most suitable for excavation, away from construction dumps, buried utility lines, fences, etc.

While some cultural material were found in one shovel test and in two backhoe trenches in the area of Zarzamora Creek, the artifacts were not in primary context or associated with other artifacts. Fire-cracked rock lay in association with modern plastic and construction material in one shovel test and with alluvial deposits above creek channel gravels in one backhoe trench.

Because the APE has seen so much development and the limited cultural material recovered were in questionable context, CAR recommends that the planned construction project proceed. No artifacts were collected during this survey. All notes and project related materials are curated at the Center for Archaeological Research according to Texas Historical Commission guidelines.

Licensing Statement

This is a work produced for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) by the report producer. TxDOT and the report producer jointly own all rights, title, and interest in and to all intellectual property developed under TxDOT’s contract with the report producer. The report may be cited and brief passages from this publication may be reproduced without permission provided that credit is given to both TxDOT and the report producer. Permission to reprint an entire chapter, section, figures or tables must be obtained in advance from either the Supervisor of the Archeological Studies Branch, Environmental Affairs Division, Texas Department of Transportation, 125 East 11th Street, Austin, Texas, 78701 or from the report producer.