Significance Testing of Site 41KM225, Kimble County, Texas

Abstract

In the course of the investigations, SWCA conducted shovel testing, hand excavations, special sampling, and other documentation at the project area. The site is located in the walls of eroding road cuts along FM 2169. Although cultural material was more visible in the east wall, this portion of the site had been impacted by erosion and the construction of a cedar oil processing mill, located just outside the ROW boundary. As the possibility of more intact prehistoric subsurface cultural material was located on the western side of the roadway, hand excavations were initialized on this side. In all, approximately 3.38 m 3 were excavated at the site. In addition to the hand excavations, the testing project excavated five shovel tests to define the site limits within the ROW and investigate a feature.The testing determined that the site contains one cultural component, designated Analytical Unit 1 (AU 1), in an alluvial and colluvial setting. AU 1 spans the deposits from the ground surface to a gravel lens at around 70 cm below surface. AU 1 contains one burned limestone rock feature; debitage, two projectile points, lithic tools, and one charcoal sample were also recovered in the excavation units. One projectile point was also found on the ground surface. One radiocarbon sample was submitted for assay, but the results were inconclusive. Thus, the best data to establish a period(s) of occupation were typological.