The Archaeology of Eagle Nest Canyon, Texas: Papers in Honor of Jack and Wilmuth Skiles (2025)

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Eagle Nest Canyon Archaeological History

David Kilby

Journal of Texas Archaeology and History: Special Volume No. 6, 2024

Eagle Nest Canyon, or Mile Canyon, has a storied archaeological history spanning 90 years and counting, a field research record unrivaled in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands archaeological region of southwest Texas and adjacent parts of Mexico (Black 2013). Here we recount that history with an emphasis on the latest and ongoing chapter, that of the Ancient Southwest Texas Project (ASWT) of Texas State University. This papers serves as an historical context for the collection of papers that follows.

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The Archaeology of the Southern Pacific Railroad in the Vicinity of Eagle Nest Canyon, Texas

David Kilby

Journal of Texas Archaeology and History: Special Volume No. 6, 2024

This paper summarizes features and artifacts associated with the Southern Pacific Railroad on the Skiles Ranch between ENC and the town of Langtry, Texas based on work carried out as an Honors Thesis at Texas State University (Mezzell 2022a, 2022b) and field documentation carried out as part of the 2019 Texas State University Archaeological Field School (Black and Kilby 2024). The goals of this paper are to provide an introductory overview of the archaeological resources related to the railroad and preliminary interpretation and reflections based on this record and the information in Skiles (1996).

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Stories in the Sand: Excavation and Analysis of the Sayles Adobe Terrace (41VV2239) in Eagle Nest Canyon, Langtry, Texas

Victoria Pagano

2019

I first must thank the Skiles family for being such great stewards of the land and allowing us to work therewe quite literally could not do it without you all. Secondly, my many thanks to my committee chair, Dr. Stephen Black, for giving me a chance to be part of the Ancient Southwest Texas Project. Thank you for being so very patient with me during this process and for the endless support from ASWT. To the two other folks who took a chance on me, Charles Koenig and Amanda Castaneda. Your mentorship and friendship have helped me become a better archaeologist and person. I must also extend my deepest gratitude to Dr. Charles Frederick for allowing me to use his lab and bunkhouse to complete my analysis, and for mentoring me along the way.

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THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF SKILES SHELTER (41VV165): A LONG-TERM ROCKSHELTER PLANT BAKING FACILITY IN THE LOWER PECOS CANYONLANDS OF TEXAS

Bryan Heisinger

2019

Skiles Shelter (41VV165) is located at the mouth of Eagle Nest Canyon, roughly 250 meters northwest from the Rio Grande in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands of southwest Texas. Skiles Shelter is characterized by a fading panel of Pecos River Style rock art, numerous bedrock milling features, and a massive burned rock midden (BRM) accumulation of fire cracked rock (FCR) and cultural refuse. In 2013 and 2014, archaeologists with the Ancient Southwest Texas Project (ASWT) of Texas State University carried out extensive excavations in Skiles Shelter to better understand the rockshelter and how its archaeological deposits formed. Based on the initial excavation results, Skiles Shelter was hypothesized to have been used primarily as an earth oven facility for the baking and processing of plant and animal foods. This thesis further explores Skiles Shelter’s use as an earth oven facility through the examination of artifacts, samples, and data from the 2013 and 2014 excavations.

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Archaeological Testing at Rancho de las Cabras, 41WN30, Wilson County, Texas, Second Season

James E Ivey

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In the summer of 1981, the second season of excavations at the Rancho de las Cabras (41 WN 30) was conducted by the Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, Texas. This season included further architectural testing and stratigraphic excavations in a large trash pit located during season one, July 1980. A five by six meter area of the interior northwest corner was excavated revealing wall trenches and floors of part of a jacal complex. A more exact plan of Rancho de las Cabras was drawn, and professional surveyors from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department made a contour map of the site. Recommendations for future historical and archaeological research are included in this report.

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New Archaeological Investigations at the M. S. Roberts Site (41HE8) in the Caddo Creek Valley in Henderson County, Texas

Bo Nelson

Index of Texas Archaeology Open Access Grey Literature from the Lone Star State, 2016

In this article, we discuss new archaeological investigations at the M. S. Roberts site (41HE8), likely a 14th to early 15th century A.D. Caddo period mound center along Caddo Creek in the upper Neches River basin in Henderson County in East Texas. With the permission and cooperation of the landowners, we completed an aerial survey of the site to produce a detailed topographic map as well as assess the plan and profile of the mound and its associated borrow pit, and we also excavated a number of shovel tests around the mound to locate habitation deposits. Finally, a few auger holes were excavated to determine the internal structure of the M. S. Roberts site mound.

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An Archaeological Survey of 35 Acres Near Eagle Pass, Maverick County, Texas

Britt Bousman

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State, 1999

On April 22 through 24, 1998, staff archaeologists from the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) conducted a 100 percent pedestrian survey with limited shovel and backhoe testing on two parcels near Eagle Pass, Texas (Figure 1). The archaeological investigation was conducted at the request of the Eagle Pass Independent School District as part of a plan to construct two new elementary schools on the parcels (Figures 2 and 3). The purpose of the survey was to identify archaeological sites visible on the surface as well as areas where sites are potentially buried. CAR archaeologists recorded 27 isolated finds on the 20-acre parcel south of the city. On the 15-acre parcel north of the city they discovered and recorded one archaeological site, with an additional nine isolated finds (Figures 2 and 3). The site has been heavily disturbed due to natural and artificial causes; therefore CAR recommended that the planned construction should be allowed to proceed with no further consultation with the State Historical Preservation Office (SHPO) or the Texas Historical Commission (THC).

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An Assessment of Archaeological Resources in Portions of Starr County, Texas

Thomas Hester

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

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Archaeological Survey at Rancho de las Cabras, San Antonio Missions National Historic Park, 41WN30, Wilson County, Texas

Britt Bousman

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

A two-stage archaeological investigation and preliminary geomorphological assessment was conducted at Rancho de las Cabras, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, by the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of The University of Texas at San Antonio for the National Park Service (NPS). The investigation was prompted by NPS plans to construct a parking lot and visitors' center near the Spanish colonial ruins (41WN30). The geomorphological investigations are preliminary, with more fieldwork needed to test the proposed working model; however, the geomorphological conclusions suggest widespread potential for finding buried prehistoric sites in the alluvial terraces. Four newly identified surface lithic scatter sites were recorded and mapped. Sites 41WN90, 41WN92, and 41WN93 are presently on NPS property and 41WN91 is located on private land. These sites are located in the upland Early to Middle Pleistocene Leona Formation. Due to the paucity of surface and subsurface cultural material, and to previous subsurface disturbance in the form of deep root cutting and plowing, the four sites are considered to have minimal research potential. The three sites on NPS property are currently included in the National Register nomination filed in 1977; however, the systematic collection of surface artifacts conducted during the current investigation, has in effect, mitigated these sites by exhausting their research potential. Site 41WN91, located on private property, is not recommended as eligible for inclusion in the National Register. During the course of the archaeological investigation, two important cultural areas were identified near the Las Cabras ruins. Artifacts recovered near the western edge of the ruins demonstrate their association with the Colonial ranch; this area has been identified as culturally sensitive. West of the ruins, the second area is comprised of an isolated dark soil (over-thickened A-horizon) which may have formed from anthropogenic activities related to the Colonial ranch. Therefore, prior to any future ground disturbing activities, it is recommended that additional testing be conducted in the archaeologically sensitive area, the over-thickened A-horizon, and the alluvial terraces.

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Archaeological Investigations at Sites in the Upper Cibolo Creek Watershed, Central Texas

Thomas Hester

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

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The Archaeology of Eagle Nest Canyon, Texas: Papers in Honor of Jack and Wilmuth Skiles (2025)

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