Conservation Archaeology of the Richland/Chambers Dam and Reservoir

PRODUCED BY Archaeology Research Program Department of Anthropology Southern Methodist University
WITH FUNDS PROVIDED BY Tarrant County Water Control and Improvement District Number 1
written by: L. Mark Raab and Randall W. Moir
typesetting by: James E. Bruseth
graphic layout by: Chris Christopher
1981
In recent decades legislators and the public have come to realize that the expansion of our urban-industrial society is rapidly destroying the archaeological resources of the country. In many regions of the United States this destruction has reached crisis proportions. Experts point out that within another generation, given current rates of resource destruction from industry, agriculture, and other land-modification projects, intact archaeological resources will virtually cease to exist within large areas of the nation.
Fig. 1. Richland-Chambers Dam and Reservoir, Navarro and Freestone Counties, Texas.
RICHLAND-CHAMBERS DAM Chambers Creek Richland Creek Trinity River NAVARRO COUNTY CORSICANA NAVARRO RICHLAND FREESTONE COUNTY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 45 US HIGHWAY 287 US HIGHWAY 75
Fig. 2. Members of the Richland Creek Archaeological Project inspecting the banks of Richland Creek for archaeological remains. The project area was examined by teams of archaeologists for prehistoric and historic archaeological resources.
Fig. 4. Drawing of a Paleo-Indian fluted point (Clovis type).
Throughout much of eastern North America we know that tremendous cultural changes occurred in the few centuries before and after the time of Christ. The society of simple hunters and gatherers in Archaic times gave way to a much more advanced type of society for reasons that are not entirely understood at present. We do know that Woodland stage peoples began building huge earthworks; sometimes as burial mounds, sometimes in the forms of animals such as snakes. From a social point of view, big changes occurred. We find the first evidence of social ranking in which a few powerful people were buried in mounds with great wealth and ceremony. In certain respects, this development was a clear step toward the eventual emergence of civilizations. We know that this kind of change has occurred independently in many parts of the world but we do not yet know why. It is clearly an important development with consequences for all human societies.