Monthly Meeting
Trini Mendenhall Community Center, 1414 Wirt Road
Houston, TX 77055
Main No.: (713) 956-0881

When We Meet
Third Thursday of each month
Time: 6:30 pm - 8:45 pm

For meeting information
Email: president@txhas.org

Excavations at 41GV170 – Galveston Island State Park
June 2013

In early June HAS member (and former president) Charlie Gordy received a note from Ruth Mathews, Cultural Resources Coordinator, Region 4, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, asking HAS members to participate in a survey at 41GV170, a site on Galveston Island State Park. The scope of the work consisted of pedestrian surveys, shovel testing and opening of at least two excavation units.

HAS members Charlie Gordy, Tracy Connell and Beth Aucoin answered the call! Charlie served as volunteer work coordinator on the project.

According to Beth, the weather was hot hot hot and humid. Here are her field notes:

Tracy was on survey the first day (Monday) with Ruth Mathews and Toni Fischer. Shovel tests were negative. Prior to shovel tests, Ruth, Toni and Charlie cleared the area of lots of brush, then Charlie and I excavated a unit down to 20cmbs; some small pieces of pottery were found. Tuesday, Charlie, Tracy, and I continued excavation. At 36cmbs Tracy found, in-situ, a nice burnished pottery sherd. Numerous sherds were found between 30-40cmbs, some of which were obviously grog tempered. We encountered sterile soil between 40-50cmbs, so we closed and back-filled that unit. We were hoping to find lithics, pottery, bone, asphaltum, and pumice. However, we only found pottery and the pieces were small--no rims.

On Thursday, after clearing another area, Tracy & I excavated another unit down to 30cmbs; nothing found, but the unit was left open so Ruth & Toni could take it down to 50cmbs. All of their shovel tests were negative.

Beth and Tracy took some fabulous photos of the project, included here.

Click on an image to view a larger version