A Stratified Late Prehistoric Campsite Along the Rio Grande, Presidio County, Trans-Pecos Texas

The final report for the Arroyo de la Presa site, over three years in the making, is available through the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) or the CBBS. The site, in southern Presidio County, Texas, within the La Junta district, is an open campsite containing stratified cultural deposits dating primarily to the Late Prehistoric and Protohistoric periods.

Special analyses that contributed to the overall findings included in the report are: thin sectioning and instrumental neutron-activation analyses of ceramic sherds from the site and other sherds from the nearby Millington site; abundant botanical identifications and radiocarbon data; phytolith and stable carbon isotope analyses; a residue analysis of several burned rocks; a faunal analysis; and a chemical analysis of several stone items.

Through the support and funding provided by TxDOT, findings from the project have helped to reinvigorate the study of La Junta archeology, allowing some of the hypotheses of J. Charles Kelley to be tested using modern analytical techniques and supplying much needed baseline data for a variety of research issues.