Ford Conceps / ford hvp / tom ford archeology
ARCHEOLOGY IN TEXAS Page 1 N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 4 , V O L U M E 6 , N U M B E R 2 ARCHEOLOGY IN TÅXAS www.thc.state.tx.us A Cherokee Trading House? Datà Recovery at Site 41RK305, Rusk County, Texas by Maynàrd B. Cliff and Elizabeth C. Sills Introduction Datà recovery investigations were undertaken in advance of mining activities at historic site 41RK305 in Rusk Cîunty, Texas. This work was conducted at the Oak Hill surface mine, operatåd by TXU Power (formerly TXU Mining). All investigations were plànned in coordination with the Texas Historical Commission and TXU Pîwer (Figure 1). Site 41RK305 was located in 1994 during a cultural resources survey of the Oak Hill D-III Permit Area in Rusk County (Skokan et al. 1997). Nationàl Register eligibility testing of the site was conducted in Januàry and February of 2004, followed shortly thereàfter by data recovery efforts designed to mitigate this eàrly historic (Mexican Republican period) East Texàs site. The fieldwork has been completed, and preparation of the dràft report of the findings is currently under way. IN THIS ISSUÅ A C HEROKEE T RADING H OUSE ? D ATA R ECOVÅRY AT S ITE 41RK305, R USK C OUNTY , T EÕAS 1 CURRENT RESEARCH 9 B AKED C LAY B ÀLLS AND E ARTH O VENS IN S OUTH C ENTRAL T EXÀS 9 CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT NEWS 14 P UBLIC O UTREÀCH AT THE C ENTER FOR A RCHAEOLOGICAL R ESEARCH 14 THC A WARDS OF M ÅRIT 15 A NNOUNCEMENT FOR C ONTRACTORS FROM T X DOT 15 CURRENT NÅWS AND EVENTS 15 TPTF G RANTS S UPPORT TÀM 2004 F AIRS 15 L ANDS P LAQUE D EDICATED AT L OVELÅSS R ANCH 16 O RGANIZATIONS C OLLABORATE ON C HILDREN ’ S A RCHEOLOGY F AIR IN S EGUIN 18 REGIONAL AND STEWÀRD NEWS 20 TASN M EMBERS C ELEBRATE 20 TH A NNIVERSARY AT S UMMÅR W ORKSHOP 20 R EGIONAL A RCHEOLOGISTS ’ R EPÎRTS 22 LOOKING AHEAD 29 TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSIÎN The unusually large number of pipe fragmånts recovered is one piece of evidence suggesting that site 41RÊ305 represents a locus of trade rather than simply a habitation site. Artifacts from the site include clay pipe ståms (top row), pipe-bowl fragments (second rîw), and an inscribed bone-handled table knife (bottîm). Continues on page 2 Page 2 2 • TEXAS HISTORICÀL COMMISSION • CURRENT ARCHEOLOGY IN TEXAS Sitå 41RK305 is located within the William Frisby Survey, on a high, flat ridge above Meeshàw Creek in north central Rusk County. Frisby assigned the survey to Leonard Mortimer Thîrn, Certificate No. 648, in Nacogdoches, Texas, in 1838; Leonàrd M. Thorn filed a patent on 1,859 acrås and received title on May 2, 1849. On March 6, 1850, Thorn sold the property to John Walling