Jason D. Weston

Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Lorence Creek Greenbelt, City of San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

Under contract with Rehler Vaughn & Koone, Inc. of San Antonio, archaeologists from the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted an archaeological survey of the proposed hikeand-bike trail along the Lorence Creek Greenbelt in San Antonio, Texas. The fieldwork was completed on April 1–2, 2003, under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 3085. Steve A. Tomka, Director of CAR, served as Principal Investigator. The goal of the survey was to determine the presence or absence of significant cultural materials in the area that may be impacted by the development of a proposed hike-and-bike trail within the greenbelt. The project area extends from Virgil T. Blossom Park 1.45 miles (2.33 km) along Lorence Creek downstream to within 750 feet of Jones Maltsberger Road. Archaeological investigations involved a 100% pedestrian survey and shovel testing within the project area. The results of the survey indicate that the majority of the area along the footprint of the proposed hike-and-bike trail is disturbed by both natural and anthropogenic agencies. The survey efforts identified and documented one site— 41BX1581. The site contains a low density of cultural materials and no features. It is suggested that the site has minimal research potential. Therefore, even though the proposed trail runs along the edge of the site, it is suggested that the minimal construction activities associated with the trail be allowed to proceed as planned. All field documentation and all artifacts collected are permanently curated at CAR.

The Perez Ranch Project Reassessment of Four Archaeological Sites in South-central Bexar County, Texas

In anticipation of planned land developments, NICDAR, Inc. of San Antonio Texas contracted the Center for Archaeological Research at The University of Texas at San Antonio to conduct a reassessment and boundary definition of four archaeological sites, 41BX274, 41BX277, 41BX682, and 41BX988, located on or in the vicinity of the historic Perez Ranch. The archaeological investigations were carried out under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 3278 with Dr. Steve A. Tomka serving as Principal Investigator. The investigations consisted of a surface survey of all sites, shovel testing and backhoe trenching at 41BX274, the Perez Ranch, shovel testing at 41BX988, the Laborer’s Shack, and limited shovel testing outside the cemetery bounds at 41BX277, the Perez Family Cemetery and Chapel. The Dolores Crossing, 41BX682, a Spanish Colonial period ford of the Medina River was subject to surface survey only. Based on the surface and subsurface distributions of artifacts at 41BX274 41BX277, and 41BX988, new boundaries were defined, staked and recorded at these sites using Global Positioning System units. The size of site 41BX274 has been reduced by splitting it into two sites 41BX274 and 41BX274a. 41BX274a was split from the original site since it is a concentration of cultural materials located some 350 meters southeast of the nearest concentration of cultural materials at 41BX274. This isolated concentration of cultural materials has now been identified as 41BX274a. Based on surface survey and shovel testing, it also was recommended that the boundaries of site 41BX277 be slightly increased to include a light scatter of prehistoric cultural materials found around the cemetery. Furthermore, it was recommended that the site be identified as multicomponent, given the presence of both prehistoric and historic materials within its boundaries. Based on the distribution of cultural materials at 41BX682, the boundaries of the site have been reduced. Finally, no cultural materials have been identified at 41BX988, although the location of the historic crossing coincides with the crossing of the Medina River by Applewhite Road. No cultural material was recovered from sites 41BX277 or 41BX682. Temporally diagnostic artifacts were recovered from the surface of sites 41BX274 and 41BX988. All cultural materials recovered in shovel tests at these two sites have also been retained. All artifacts are curated at the Center for Archaeological Research.

Archaeological Survey for the Proposed Salado Creek Hike and Bike Trail, City of San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

In November of 2002 and March of 2003, a crew from the Center for Archaeological Research at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted archeological and geoarcheological investigations along Salado Creek in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The purpose of this fieldwork was to investigate, using shovel testing and backhoe trenching, the impact of the proposed construction of an approximately three-mile-long hike and bike trail along the creek. The work included testing for the presence of the historic Alsbury Family Cemetery and Homestead that may be in close proximity to the trail’s right-of-way. Work was performed under contract with HNTB Corporation of San Antonio. This work was conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 2917, with Steve A. Tomka serving as Principal Investigator. Shovel testing and backhoe trenching yielded no significant archeological deposits. No cultural material was collected during the survey. A backhoe trench and shovel tests placed along the trail’s path in the vicinity of the cemetery encountered no signs of graves and archival research suggests the cemetery is well outside the trail right-of-way. It is believed that locating the Alsbury Family Cemetery may require pedestrian survey and subsurface investigations that are outside the scope of this project. Finally, it is recommended that the construction of the proposed hike and bike trail proceed as planned since it will not impact intact cultural deposits of significant research potential.