Article Title

Intensive Archeological Survey For Proposed City Of Muleshoe Sanitary Landfill, Bailey County, Texas

Authors

Haley Rush
Rebecca Schultz
David Sandrock

Agency

Texas Historical Commission

Abstract

The City of Muleshoe, Texas, proposes to expand an existing municipal landfill by adding a permit area to the south of the existing landfill. The existing city landfill and the proposed expansion are located in northwestern Bailey County, Texas just southeast of the City of Muleshoe.

In October 2017, an intensive archeological survey was completed in order to inventory and evaluate archeological resources within the footprint of the landfill expansion area. The archeological area of potential effects (APE) is defined as the entire 60-acre (24.28-hectare) parcel where the landfill is planned. The APE is located in an undeveloped parcel immediately south of the existing landfill. Anticipated construction depth will extend beyond 3.28 feet (1 meter). The work was carried out for the City of Muleshoe under Texas Antiquities Permit 8153 by Haley Rush and Rebecca Shultz of Cox|McLain Environmental Consulting, Inc. (CMEC) under the direction of David Sandrock (Principal Investigator). CMEC acted as a subcontractor to Parkhill, Smith and Cooper, Inc.

Ground surfaces within the APE were moderately (30 percent) to highly (50 percent) visible. The entire parcel has been utilized for agricultural activities, although much of the APE is currently fallow and overgrown with tall grass and shrubs. No cultural materials were observed on the surface or in the 30 shovel tests excavated across the APE. Shovel tests revealed sandy soils of varying depths and were excavated to at least 60 centimeters below surface (cbms) with most extending to 80 or 100 cmbs. No evidence was observed of dune formation or eolian deposits with potential for deeply buried archeological materials. Therefore, no mechanical excavations were undertaken.

All materials (notes, photographs, administrative documents, and other project data) generated from this work will be housed at the Center for Archaeological Studies at Texas State University, where they will be made permanently available to future researchers per 13 Texas Administrative Code 26.16-17.

No evidence was found of preserved deposits with a high degree of integrity; associations with distinctive architectural and material culture styles; rare materials and assemblages; the potential to yield data important to the study of preservation techniques and the past in general; or potential attractiveness to relic hunters (13 TAC 26.10; 36 CFR 60.4). Thus, the proposed project can proceed with construction activities. If any unanticipated cultural materials or deposits are found at any stage of clearing, preparation, or construction, the work should cease and THC personnel should be notified immediately.

The Texas Historical Commission concurred with the findings of this report on December 4, 2017.

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