Article Title

Farm-to Market (FM) Road 2493 from US 69 to FM 346, Smith and Cherokee Counties

Authors

Brett Lang

Agency

Texas Historical Commission

Abstract

Between December 18 and 21, 2018, an intensive archeological survey was completed in order to inventory and evaluate archeological resources within the footprint of the proposed FM 2493 roadway improvements from U.S. Highway 69 to Farm-to-Market 346 in Smith and Cherokee Counties, Texas. The project is identified under Texas Department of Transportation control-section-job numbers 0191- 03-083, 0191-04-008, and 0191-02-066. The work associated with this archeological survey was carried out under Texas Antiquities Permit 8567 by Brett Lang (Project Archeologist) and Floyd Kent of Cox|McLain Environmental Consulting, Inc., a subcontractor to RPS Group.

No archeological sites were recorded during the survey. Results of the survey show that a majority of the project corridor has been highly disturbed from modern residential and commercial development, bulldozing associated with the original roadway construction, installation and repair of buried utilities, as well as from natural impacts such as erosion.

The area of potential effect is comprised of 159.1 acres of existing right-of-way and 68.0 acres of proposed right-of-way for a total of 227.1 acres. None of the 159.1 acres of existing right-of-way was pedestrian surveyed due to previous bulldozing associated with the original roadway construction. Of the 68.0 acres of new proposed right-of-way, right-of-entry access was only allowed on 24.5 acres, leaving 31.0 acres with no access at the time of this survey; these acres will require survey once rightof-entry is obtained. The remaining 12.5 acres of new proposed right-of-way was not surveyed due to apparent previous disturbances from residential and commercial development and corner clips.

In 24.5 acres where access was allowed, thirty-two shovel test units were excavated where subsurface archeological materials might occur, no obvious impacts or disturbances were observed, slope was less than 30 percent, ground visibility was limited, and standing water levels allowed. A majority of the land was publicly owned within the existing right-of-way. The remaining land was privately owned where new right-of-way is proposed. Soils were found to be shallow (generally extending 40 centimeters below the surface); subsoil was encountered in the majority of the shovel tests. All of the shovel tests were sterile and lacked any cultural material.

One backhoe trench was excavated on the east side of Farm-to-Market 2493 adjacent to the older section of Flint Cemetery. The backhoe trench lacked cultural materials and showed no evidence of burials within the undertaking’s area of potential effects.

No further work is recommended in the 196.1 acres of the area of potential effects that did not require survey (existing right-of-way and previously disturbed areas [e.g., residential/commercial and corner clips]), and was surveyed at this time. When access to the 31.0 acres recommended for archeological survey occurs, additional survey is recommended. If any unanticipated cultural materials or deposits are found at any stage of clearing, preparation, or construction, the work should cease and the Texas Department of Transportation should be immediately notified

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 artifacts were collected and therefore none will be curated.

The Texas Historical Commission concurred with the findings and recommendations of this report on February 28, 2019.

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