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Agency

Center for Archaeological Studies

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21112/ita.2009.1.13

Abstract

Following the 2008 reassessment, TPWD contracted CAS to carry out a systematic survey of the 1,460-acre park, excluding previously recorded sites, inundated terrain, and areas of modern disturbance that resulted from park infrastructure developments. The purpose of the survey was to ensure a complete inventory of cultural resources within the park. The effort included pedestrian survey and excavation of 215 shovel tests, as well as archival research to identify historic structures that may have once been present, but that were now razed and that could be considered potential sites. An additional element of this project involved some archival research to determine whether 41FT630, the abandoned cemetery, had ever been platted at the Freestone County Clerk’s office, as required under Chapter 711 of the State of Texas Health and Safety Code. Archival and field work was performed in April and May of 2009 by Julian A. Sitters, Project Archaeologist, Sarah Scogin, CAS Staff Archaeologist, and Jon C. Lohse, who served as Principal Investigator. No new sites were recorded during this project, and CAS found no indication that 41FT630 has ever been platted. Available records indicate that it likely represents a freedmen descendant community cemetery, containing individuals who were probably slaves or immediate descendants of freed slaves. CAS recommends archaeological survey and oral interviews concerning this site before it is legally platted at the County Clerk’s office in Fairfield, Texas.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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