Digging

[trobbi33]

I might have the opportunity to dig on a large camp along the Rio Grande River. There have been surface finds on this site for 50 years that I have heard of and we still find some now. It has never been dug that I am aware of. My question is where do you start? Do you just pick a spot and start? The site is on a high bank along the river. Most points are found washing towards the river so is it best to start near the river or farther inland?

Thanks,
Todd

[cgode]

Hmmm..... Having never dug before I'm not sure.... I guess a couple test pits to start.... I'll come down and point out where I would start!
Good luck and post pics of what ya find.

[Scotto]

Do you see an area where there are grapefruit-size rocks on the surface?

[trobbi33]

No there is not one area that has bigger rock consitrated but there are areas that are just littered with flakes. Once you get a hundred yards from the high bank its pretty much sand without much rock exposed. I have found points that area too but most rock is within that 100yard area from the bank. I'd say it is like that for about a half mile.

We are still working on getting it set up. A buddy of mine is working on leasing the property. Just want to educate myself for when or if he gets it and they are cool with us doing some digging.

[comanche]

The edge of My Middens seem to be where I find a Good concentration of points,,,But if you start Digging,,,It is a Good Idea to start on the edge and put the "Throw dirt behind you so you do not cover up good ground.
Pot holeing is never a good idea.
Look at how Bobby Digs,,,,,,From the edge to the center///////c

[trobbi33]

Thanks Comanche. I seen those pics of Bobby's dig site and it is very impressive. Any idea how deep to go or just dig till you can find any more? What is the average depth for the most part, a couple feet?

Thanks again for the help and advice. I just want to do it right if it works out.

[comanche]

I don't blame you for wanting to do it Right.
I have seen Controlled digs by UT.That make me Laugh.Giving Licence to a Freshman to Tear into a site is a Joke at times.

I myself learned through trial and error and each site is different.Some are Multiple Component sites some Quarry sites ,,,,ect.You will just have to get in there and start moving some dirt.I dig Until I do not find Worked flint anymore,,,,Average Depth is about 3-4 foot.
The site Frank and I dug yesterday,,,,,We are still finding Flint at 6 foot so it is hard to make generalizations.
A good Piece of Tarp with some cord tied to the corners works Great to Pull the Material Back out of the way.Gotta move that Dirt!!!/////c

[MidlandMan]

Trobbi, I've done a lot of surface hunting in Webb Co. One of the first things I would like to know is what time periods are represented on the surface? If Paleo and Late Archaic are represented then on the surface then they have been reduced by negative errosion to lie on a common plane indicating there may not be much below that and mixed context is a clue. I found a nice Golondrina base near a Caracara point with about 7500 to 8000 years sepperating them! That having been said look for accumulations of small size grey to pinkish red rock along with the chips to indicate a site. Many of these sites I'm familiar with have a lack of larger size rock and the burned rock from their fires is correspondingly small but may be highly concentrated over a small area. Larger areas with highly scattered burned rock indicates a more disturbed site and the artifacts will be less concentrated as well. I might suggest large amounts of Rhabdotus snail shell are another good sign when found along with the other evidence. Instead of a hole try digging a trench to look for burried concentrations of further evidence befor deciding on a more major digging opperation. Good luck!!

[trobbi33]

I have personally found points from mid Archaic and up. I think it was occupied for a very long time. Compared to the other sites I hunt this is the biggest and is littered with flakes. There is some burnt rock on the surface but I am thinking most is buried. I will try and get some pics of the site next time I am there to post.

[seco]

My advice: don't do it.

l. It will yield very little..if anything..the reason you see all the stuff deflated on the surface is that the site is deflated on the same surface. I've been on dozens of those Rio Grande terrace sites, both sides of the river. Sometimes, in deep gullies, one can see a few burned rocks, or a piece of flint; sometimes a stratum of burned rocks. But, it takes hundreds (thousands?) of hours of time to expose a big enough block excavation to come up with anything. Very similar terrace sites on the Frio River, one of which we dug because Choke Canyon Dam was anchored on it. There were some buried zones, with hearths (and charcoal for dating and species identification). But after $200,000 and hand excavating a huge area,
5 (five) flint artifacts, none diagnostic! ($200K in 1978 dollars). The
Bureau of Reclamation had dug the huge pit you see in the photo below,
checking the subsurface geology for anchoring the dam. After a rain, we
drove by and saw several strata exposed. Much to their chagrin, and great
expense, we were required to study the site. The strata contained hearths,
a flintknapping area, a mussel shell processing area, and in one of the
floors you can see on the photo, a floor with mussel shells and lots of
drum otoliths. Lots of environmenta data (earliest mesquite in south
Texas 5000 BC, etc.) and radiocarbon dates. But if a person digging
for arrowheads had started on the site, they would have quit after a few,
very hot hours. And unless they exposed a multi-meter square block to
expose a flintknapping area, they would have missed it.


2. If you do dig in it and happen to find something, then you have messed up an unknown part of south Texas prehistory. None of those border
sites above Falcon Reservoir, and up to the sandy-loam site N of Eagle
Pass (near where you have surface collected) have been dug. Use of
a backhoe (which I can't imagine any landowner allowing down there) will
simply destroy whatever you find, like it does on the paydigs up in the Hill
Country.

Contact me off-Forum if you want some specific details and horror stories!!

Tom