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Article Title
National Register of Historic Places Eligibility Testing of Site 41LE326 Lee County, Texas
Agency
TxDOT
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21112/ita.2010.1.6
Abstract
Between March 5 and 12, 2007, PBS&J conducted National Register of Historic Places eligibility testing at site 41LE326, under contract to the Texas Department of Transportation Environmental Affairs Division (TxDOT ENV) (CSJ No. 0211-03-032). This investigation was conducted in advance of proposed improvements to U.S. Highway 77 in central Lee County, Texas, under regulations of the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 USC §470 et seq.) and the Antiquities Code of Texas (Title 9, chapter 191, Texas Natural Resource Code). Site 41LE326 is a prehistoric campsite that was initially recorded by PBS&J in October 2006 during a cultural resources survey and is located on the south side of Middle Yegua Creek.
National Register testing consisted of the mechanical excavation of nine trenches totaling 47.3 linear meters and two scraped areas totaling approximately 55 square meters, and the manual excavation of nine shovel tests and four 1-x-1-meter test units. Analyses of artifacts recovered during testing suggest that occupation of the site likely occurred intermittently from at least the Late Prehistoric period and perhaps as early as the Middle Archaic period. Artifact categories recovered consisted of lithic manufacturing debris, lithic tools, burned matrix, and thermally altered rock.
Subsurface investigations at 41LE326 failed to encounter any evidence that intact buried prehistoric cultural deposits or features exist on the portion of the site within the TxDOT right of way. Based on stratigraphic data, lack of intact features, and low subsurface artifact density, it appears that the investigated portion of the site lacks integrity, and it is unlikely that additional archeological investigations within this portion of 41LE326 would contribute to our understanding of the area’s prehistory. Therefore, the investigated portion of 41LE326 within the area of potential effect consisting of the existing right of way does not contribute to the site’s eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and does not warrant designation as a State Archeological Landmark. No further investigation is recommended. Final curation of all collected materials will occur at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory in consultation with TxDOT ENV.
Licensing Statement
This is a work for hire produced for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), which owns all rights, title, and interest in and to all data and other information developed for this project under its 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 TxDOT and the firm that produced it. Permission to reprint an entire chapter, section, figures or tables must be obtained in advance from the Supervisor of the Archeological Studies Branch, Environmental Affairs Division, Texas Department of Transportation, 125 East 11th Street, Austin, Texas, 78701.
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