Lone Mountain Archaeological Services
PLAYAS AND PROCESSING
The National Register Eligibility Evaluation of 15 Sites in Maneuver Area 1B, Fort Bliss, Texas.
Very occasionally, a remarkable site appears that provides a detailed glimpse into prehistoric day-to-day life. This project yielded one such site. Evidence of corn was found in a thermal feature dated to A.D. 1310 to 1345. The feature’s matrix is composed primarily of ash, indicating that the fuel source was completely consumed during use. No fire-cracked rock was observed; however, there are associated flaked-stone artifacts and a broken ceramic vessel in the center of the feature. A soil analysis was conducted confirming the presence of burned Zea mays cupules in the ash. The fuel was determined to have been mesquite. Lone Mountain archaeologists interpreted this feature as a cooking hearth. The ceramic vessel may have been broken while cooking corn. The flaked-stone artifacts may be the result of other activities, such as tool maintenance, that took place while inhabitants waited for the meal to finish cooking. Daily activities like meal preparation are not easily addressed in archaeology, due to the volatility of such evidence. This site is rare indeed, and the data could prove invaluable to scientists attempting to comprehend domestic life, subsistence strategies, and agricultural practices of early peoples.
Additionally, tantalizing evidence of cultural interaction was observed throughout the project area. A number of ceramic pieces are not local to the area, suggesting interaction between the prehistoric inhabitants of Fort Bliss and Mexico.
