During my time at CAS, I participated in two main projects.
In the field, I accompanied the crew to Spring Lake to conduct shovel tests to help determine where an excavation needs to take place. I went out with the assistant director at CAS and some of the lab technicians to complete the shovel tests. Shovel testing is when you dig a hole (usually to 1 meter) in order to see if there are any cultural remains in the area. After you dig out the soil it must be sifted it through a screen. If any artifacts are found you record the depth they were recovered at and label and bag them. When you have dug down to 1 meter you record the stratigraphy, take a picture, and write down any helpful notes. The location of the shovel tests are mapped so that it can later be determined if an excavation needs to be completed if there are a cluster of remains. For three days the crew and I arrived at Spring Lake around 7 am. Before anyone started working, Carole plotted the areas where we would be completing the shovel tests with each about 15 meters apart. From there everyone would pick an area and begin digging. Shovel testing is labor intensive and time consuming. Sifting through the soil and hoping to find artifacts was always a nice break. During the course of the three days 80 shovel tests were completed. The number of artifacts did vary and most were found near the current gift shop.
CAS director Dr. Lohse assigned me the task of assisting him with a certain project he was working on: reconstructing the cultural chronology of Texas. According to Dr. Lohse, the chronology of Texas is somewhat flexible and needs to be further refined. In North America, cultural phases are mainly defined by the type of arrow and dart points produced, along with other features such as ceramics, hearths and stone tools. In Central Texas, there are seven cultural phases that date from Late to Middle Archaic. I was assigned the duty of refining the chronology of the Ensor dart point which is currently listed in the Twin Sisters phase from 1750-1400 BP (Hester and Turner, 1999). The Ensor point is a medium sized, thin triangular dart point with side notches. It is distributed throughout Texas (except for East Texas), but is mainly found in Central and West Texas. It is also found in Northern Mexico. By utilizing CAS’s library, I researched specific sites where Ensor points have been found. To accurately date this point, I had to record the site name, the sample number of the radiocarbon date, corrected age and standard deviation, any helpful notes, and cite the book or report.
The process of recording this dart point was complicated and time-consuming because in archaeological publications all of this information is not neatly found in just one table. First, the point had to be found at a site with a record of the unit and level it was excavated in. Then search for a table or text describing the condition of where it was found to establish if it is creditable to date. For instance, if one Ensor point was found within an animal burrow then it is not reliable as sediments are often shifted in these situations. If there are no problems up to this point, then the table which lists the radiocarbon dates taken from the site (if there were any) must be recorded. Normally there are only a few dates because radiocarbon dating is very expensive. If the point was located within the same unit and level as the sample taken for dating then it could be recorded.
I worked a total of three weeks researching the Ensor dart point and found 30 points with accurate radiocarbon dates. While the process was slightly tedious due to the lack of information found, it is nonetheless rewarding. I was surprised to find that a majority of the points I have recorded are outside what is considered to be the accepted phase they were produced in which is 1750-1400 BP. My findings of the Ensor points seem to coincide more with the Uvalde period which is 2250-1750 BP.
When I completed my research on the Ensor dart point my final step was to analyze the results. OxCal is a program developed by the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit (ORAU) intended to provide radiocarbon calibration and analysis of archaeological and environmental chronological information. Many different chronological models can be used to interpret data depending on the research goals. The first model I used to examine the data was by using Plot Parameters. This model plots the radiocarbon dates on a graph showing the range of calibrated dates (Figure 3). While this model was useful for establishing the time period for the Ensor dart point, it did not provide any additional information for analysis.
My internship at the Center of Archaeological Studies has been a great experience. The diversity of my duties in the field and in the lab has strengthened my knowledge of Archaeological work. I can now accurately process, label, and catalogue artifacts from my extensive time spent in the lab. From my time spent out in the field, I have experience conducting shovel tests and have a better understanding of the field to lab process. While I was assisting Dr. Lohse in inquiring and analyzing the Ensor dart point, I also broadened my knowledge of Texas Archaeology and of research methods. I look forward to continuing this research with Dr. Lohse and CAS.
My experience at the Center of Archaeological Studies was especially beneficial when considering my future goal of attending graduate school. The research methods I acquired will be of great assistance to me while researching and writing my graduate thesis. The opportunity to meet with many professional Archaeologists and hearing their advice has also been immensely helpful. The connections I made as an intern will hopefully open the doors for me in the academic world.