Human Adaptation in Central, South, and Lower Pecos Texas Thomas Hester
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University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Karl Reinhard Papers/Publications Natural Resources, School of 1989 From the Gulf to the Rio Grande: Human Adaptation in Central, South, and Lower Pecos Texas Thomas Hester Stephen L. Black D. Gentry Steele Ben W. Olive Anne A. Fox See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natresreinhard Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Environmental Public Health Commons, Other Public Health Commons, and the Parasitology Commons Hester, Thomas; Black, Stephen L.; Steele, D. Gentry; Olive, Ben W.; Fox, Anne A.; Reinhard, Karl; and Bement, Leland C., "From the Gulf to the Rio Grande: Human Adaptation in Central, South, and Lower Pecos Texas" (1989). Karl Reinhard Papers/Publications. 59. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natresreinhard/59 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Natural Resources, School of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Karl Reinhard Papers/Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Authors Thomas Hester, Stephen L. Black, D. Gentry Steele, Ben W. Olive, Anne A. Fox, Karl Reinhard, and Leland C. Bement This article is available at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natresreinhard/59 From the Gulf to the Rio Grande: Human Adaptation in Central, South, and Lower Pecos Texas by Thomas R. Hester, Stephen L. Black, D. Gentry Steele, Ben W. Olive, Anne A. Fox, Karl J. Reinhard, and Leland C. Bement , I :-;.C ,---.-; j f- j----fi ... ....,. '--- ·J~·-'·-·r ,/ ,--._(._. i JshY Prepared by the Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas A & M University, and the Arkansas Archeological Survey Final Report Submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Southwestern Division. Study Unit 3 of the Southwestern Division Archeological Overview Contract DACW63-84-C-0149 1989 Offset Printing by the Arkansas Department of Corrections, Wrightsville. ii Abstract The South Texas area, Region 3 of the Southwestern Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is synthesized from ar cheological and bioarcheological perspectives. Three distinct geographic units within Region 3 are treated in detail: Central Texas Plateau Prairie, South Texas Plains, and Lower Pecos Canyonlands. More than 11,000 years of human adaptation are chronicled for this area, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Rio Grande along the border with northeastern Mexico. Particular attention is devoted to a consideration of the region's prehistoric record; significant problems and data gaps are outlined. For the first time, a compilation has been done of the bioarcheological resources of this region, providing analysis and initial interpretation of the human osteological remains of its early inhabitants. The Historic era has also been summarized, particularly the Native American populations and the record of the Anglo European immigrants who replaced them. To help characterize the prehistoric human utilization of the region, a series of adaptation types were developed and can be tested by future research. iii Contents CHAPTERS 1 Introduction, by Thomas R. Hester ............................................................................................................. 1 2 Environmental Setting, by Stephen L. Black ............................................................................................. .5 3 Central Texas Plateau Prairie, by Stephen L. Black ...............................................................................• 17 4 South Texas Plains, by Stephen L. Black ................................................................................................. 39 5 Lower Pecos Canyonlands, by Leland C. Bement ...............•................................................................... 63 6 Historic Native American Populations, by Thomas R. Hester .............................................................. 77 7 Historic Anglo-European Exploration and Colonization, by Anne A . Fox ........................................85 8 Bioarcheology of the Reg:on 3 Study Area, by D. Gentry Steele and Ben W. Olive ...........................93 9 An Archeological Synthesis, by Thomas R. Hester ............................................................................... 115 10 Bioarcheological Synthesis, by Karl J. Reinhard, Ben W. Olive, and D. Gentry Steele .................... 129 11 The Interaction of Archeology and Bioarcheology: Some Observations, by Thomas R. Hester and D. Gentry Steele .•.............................•.................................................. 141 References Cited ...................................................................................................•.................................................................. 143 Appendix 1: Sites, National Register Properties, and State Landmarks ..................•...................................................••... 179 v FIGURES 1 Region 3 boundaries with subregions indicated ......................................................................................... 2 2 The Central Texas archeological area .........................................................................................................2 3 Initial chronological framework proposed for the Lower Pecos Canyonlands ..................................... .4 4 Boundaries of Region 3 within the state of Texas .......................•.....•....................................................... .5 5 Physiography of Region 3 ....................................... ;...................................................................................... 6 6 Geographic regions of Texas ............................................................................................................. _......... 7 7 Surface geology within Region 3 ..................................................................................................................9 8 Vegetation areas within Region 3 ......................................................................................................•....•.. 10 9 Mazjor river basin in Region 3 ...................................................................................................................11 10 The biotic provinces of Texas as dermed by Blair 1950 •..•....•.....••...•••...••.......................•....•......•..•..••.••.. 11 11 Selected Region 3 archeologica1/paleontologicallocalities yielding paleoenvironmental data ......... 13 12 Archeological sites in the Central Texas Plateau-Prairie ....................................................................... 18 13 Generalized chronology for Central Texas ............................................................................................... 23 14 Proposed cultural chronology for Central Texas ...........................•.........................................................24 15 .Paleo-Indian projectile points from Central Texas and other Region 3 areas ..................................... 16 16 'Early Archaic artifacts from Central Texas ..............................................................................................27 17 Middle and Late Archaic artifacts from Central Texas .......................................................................... 29 18 Late Archaic, Terminal Archaic, and Late Prehistoric artifacts from Central Texas ........................31 19 Five biogeographical areas of the South Texas Plains ..........•.................................................................. 40 20 Selected archeological sites in the South Texas Coastal Plain .............................................................. .45 21 Typical South Texas dart point types ........................................................................................................ .50 22 South Texas arrow points ................................•.....•...........................................................................•.•...•.. .53 23 Selected Late Prehistoric sites in South Texas and adjacent areas ...................................................... .54 24 Chipped stone tools from South Texas ..................................................................................................... .J5 25 -Ground stone artifacts from South Texas ................................................................................................ .56 26 The Lower Pecos area ................................................................................................................................ 64 27 Projectile points of the Lower Pecos area ................................................................................................70 28 Painted pebbles from the Lower Pecos area .....................................•...................................................... 71 29 The route of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca through South Texas .........................................................78 30 Locations of major groups noted in the text, mideighteenth century ..............................................••....78 31 Location of historic Native American tribes ca 1832............................................................................... 78 32 Locations and rivers noted in the text .......................................................................................................79