HOUSTON ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

SOUTHEAST TEXAS ARCHEOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

The area described as Southeast Texas is roughly bordered by the Sabine and Colorado Rivers, and inland 120 miles from the shoreline (map). This report refers to Eastern, Central, and Western zones, as seen on the map. The area of Southeast Texas is also further subdivided into the Inland and Coastal Margin areas.

The information presented here is a synthesis; an interpretation of the available archeological data available at the time the report was written. There are no absolute answers, as new data and new interpretations are possible. This synthesis summarizes current knowledge and serves as a base for further refinements of models and explanations.

Geological processes, animal activity, and environmental factors cause the unavoidable loss of much archeological data. Organic materials in particular are poorly preserved, so there is little hard data available to study the shelters, clothing, wooden artifacts, and floral food sources. Despite the limitations, a picture of the prehistory of Southeast Texas can be drawn in considerable detail. Interpretations can be made based on existing data, without need for unsupported speculation.

There is a popular concept that archeology is mainly an excavation activity. It will be seen here that data from surface collections at specific sites are at least as important as data from excavated sites; all types of data must be considered to develop a meaningful regional synthesis. Data: bone and stone tools, stone flakes from the manufacturing process, faunal remains, radiocarbon dating, numbers and locations of sites, ceramics, and of course, the ubiquitous clayball.

Regional archeology indicates Southeast Texas has had human habitation for at least 12,000 years. The record for the Early PaleoIndian era is not detailed, with only a few of the distinctive types of stone spear points to demonstrate habitation in the area during that era. From the Late PaleoIndian period through the historic era, the record is much more detailed.

OCCUPATION CHRONOLOGY OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS
with Climatic Time Period

Click on a section of the above timeline for details of that period. (Early and Late Paleo, Archaic, and Early Ceramic are the only eras functional. Early Paleo has most info. ) PS-this only works with Internet Explorer!