Volume 1999 Article 14 1999 Archaeological Investigations at Mission Concepción and Mission Parkway James E. Ivey Anne A. Fox Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/ita Part of the American Material Culture Commons, Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Other American Studies Commons, Other Arts and Humanities Commons, Other History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, and the United States History Commons Tell us how this article helped you. Cite this Record Ivey, James E. and Fox, Anne A. (1999) "Archaeological Investigations at Mission Concepción and Mission Parkway," Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State: Vol. 1999, Article 14. https://doi.org/10.21112/ita.1999.1.14 ISSN: 2475-9333 Available at: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/ita/vol1999/iss1/14 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Regional Heritage Research at SFA ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State by an authorized editor of SFA ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Archaeological Investigations at Mission Concepción and Mission Parkway Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License This article is available in Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/ita/vol1999/iss1/14 \- I , . - /. J - •• .--' '".1' .. ,:1.-.- . ';'1 .',. i :. 1'-:-' . >..:. , f /'. "/ ""'''--.' Archaeological Investigations at Mission Concepcion and Mission Parkway James E. Ivey and Anne A. Fox with contributions by William McClure and Jay C. Blaine Thomas R. Hester, Jack D. Eaton, Anne A. Fox and Robert J. Hard Principal Investigators Texas Antiquities Permit No. 295 ©1999 Center for Archaeological Research The University of Texas at San Antonio Archaeological Survey Report, No. 114 The following information is provided in accordance with the General Rules of Practice and Procedure, Chapter 41.11 (Investigative Reports), Texas Antiquities Committee: 1. Type of investigation: Archival research and mitigation 2. Project name: Concepcion 3. County: Bexar 4. Principal investigators: Thomas R. Hester, Jack D. Eaton, Anne A. Fox, and Robert J. Hard 5. Name and location of sponsoring agency: San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, National Park Service, San Antonio, Texas 6. Texas Antiquities Permit No.: 295 7. Published by the Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 6900 N. Loop 1604 W., San Antonio, Texas 78249-0658, 1999 A list of publications offered by the Center for Archaeological Research is available. Call (210) 458-4378; write to the Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 6900 N. Loop 1604 W., San Antonio, Texas 78249-0658; e-mail to [email protected]; or visit CAR's Web site at http://www .csbs. utsa.edu/research/car/index.htnl. Abstract In September 1980, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) entered into a contract (No. CX702900023) with the National Park Service (NPS) to conduct archaeological studies at Mission Concepcion (41BX12). The studies would be designed to replot the original outline of the mission pueblo, to fmd the location of the mission granary, and to make an assessment of the state of preservation of the Indian quarters along the walls of the pueblo, all with minimum possible disturbance. Preliminary research began in October 1980. During this phase, CAR located deed records and surveyor's notes dating from the 1820s through the 1880s in the Bexar County Courthouse which gave what appeared to be a reasonably accurate outline of the mission pueblo and the location of the granary. Subsequent fieldwork began in December 1980. Over a period of 85 working days, fieldwork confirmed the results of the preliminary research. Excavations showed that the foundations of the east wall of the pueblo were well preserved, with the associated living surfaces of the Indian quarters still relatively undisturbed for much of its length. Portions of the north wall and its Indian quarters were equally well preserved. Occasional traces of the west and south walls were also found in a field which had been scraped smooth by a bulldozer some years ago. The granary foundations and those of several adjoining rooms, located in the process of positive identification of the granary, were in good condition in the ground, but most of their associated floor surfaces had been disturbed. In several areas beneath the stone foundations of the final form of Mission Concepcion, adobe walls of the first permanent mission buildings on the site were found. One of these structures appeared to be the first mission church of Concepcion. Test excavations within the outlines of the building revealed seven burials beneath its floors. As a result of the documents research, the original line of Mission Road was determined. This information is valuable in re-routing Mission Road around the remains of Mission Concepcion. An amendment to the above contract necessitated archaeological survey of a number of specific areas within the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Four proposed development areas in the immediate vicinity of the missions were surveyed. Twenty-two remote-sensing anomalies were examined and, where possible, were identified and/or explained. In addition, three large park areas were surveyed. Seven recorded historic and prehistoric sites and buildings were re-examined and their importance assessed. Four new archaeological sites were recorded. Contents Abstract ............................................................... i List of Figures ........................................................... ii List of Tables .......................................................... iv Acknowledgments . v Management Summary .................................................... vii Part I: Introduction, Setting, and Historical Background James E. Ivey and Anne A. Fox .............................................. 1 Introduction . 1 Setting ........................................................... 2 Historical Background . 2 Part II: Excavations at Mission Concepcion James E. Ivey . 6 Background Research ......................,........................ .. 6 Excavations . 7 Artifact Analysis . ., . 32 Structural History . 44 Recommendations . 51 References Cited . 54 Part III: Mission Parkway Survey Anne A. Fox .......................................................... 61 Introduction . 61 The Survey ....................................................... 63 Summary and Conclusions ............................................. 75 References Cited .................................................... 76 Appendixes I. Excerpts from the Deed Records ....................................... 79 Ia. Molino De Piez . 83 II. The Spanish Trigger Guard .......................................... 85 III. Faunal Analysis .................................................. 87 IV. Burial Fabric Analysis ............................................. 95 V. Artifact Tables ................................................... 97 ii Figures 1. Plan of Mission Concepcion Park and Its Immediate Surroundings Today .................. 3 2. Mission Concepcion With Its Surrounding Landmarks and Landowners .................... 5 3. Outline of Mission Concepcion from Deed Records. .............................. 8 4. Plan of Mission Concepcion, showing the locations of excavations and a reconstruction of the plan 9f the mission. ..................................... 9 5. Excavations in the Granary Area. ......................................... 11 6. Excavations in the granary area, Block I, Units 1, 3,4, and 8. ...................... 12 7. Excavations in granary area, Block I, North Profile ............................... 13 8. Excavations in east wall area, Blocks V and VII. ............................... 14 9. Stratification of Unit 27 in Block VI, East Wall Area. ............................ 18 lOa. Excavations in the Northeast Corner. Plan of Block VID, Unit 37 ...................... 21 lOb. Excavations in the Northeast Corner. Plan of Block IX, Unit 36. ..................... 22 11. Excavations in the West Wall Area, Block XI. ................................. 24 12. Excavations in the South Wall Area, Block XII. ................................. 26 13. Excavations in the South Wall Area, Block XII, Units 42 and 45 Profiles. ............... 27 14. Excavations in the South Gate Area .......................................... 28 15. Excavations in the South Gate Area, Plans of Block XID, Units 22,25, and 33 ............. 29 16. Ceramics ...' ........................................................ 33 17. Iron Artifacts.. 34 18. Arms-Related Artifacts .................................................. 35 19. Lithic, Shell, and Metal Artifacts ............................................ 36 20. Mission Espada Area .................................................... 64 21. Mission San Juan and Espada Aqueduct Area .....................................66 22. Mission San Jose Area ...................................................68 23. Mission Concepcion Area .................................................70 24. Espada Dam Area ......................................................74 iii Tables 1. Artifacts Collected from 41 BX 255 . 67