From the Gulf to the Rio Grande: Human Adaptation in Central, South, and Lower Pecos Texas

Abstract

The South Texas area, Region 3 of the Southwestern Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is synthesized from archeological and bioarcheological perspectives. Three distinct geographic units within Region 3 are treated in detail: Central Texas Plateau Prairie, South Texas Plains, and Lower Pecos Canyonlands. More than 11,000 years of human adaptation are chronicled for this area, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Rio Grande along the border with northeastern Mexico. Particular attention is devoted to a consideration of the region's prehistoric record; significant problems and data gaps are outlined. For the first time, a compilation has been done of the bioarcheological resources of this region, providing analysis and initial interpretation of the human osteological remains of its early inhabitants. The Historic era has also been summarized, particularly the Native American populations and the record of the AngloEuropean immigrants who replaced them. To help characterize the prehistoric human utilization of the region, a series of adaptation types were developed and can be tested by future research.\nContents:\nIntroduction, by Thomas R. Hester\nEnvironmental Setting, by Stephen L. Black\nCentral Texas Plateau Prairie, by Stephen L. Black\nSouth Texas Plains, by Stephen L. Black\nLower Pecos Canyonlands, by Leland C. Bement\nHistoric Native American Populations, by Thomas R. Hester\nHistoric Anglo-European Exploration and Colonization, by Anne A . Fox\nBioarcheology of the Region 3 Study Area, by D. Gentry Steele and Ben W. Olive\nAn Archeological Synthesis, by Thomas R. Hester\nBioarcheological Synthesis, by Karl J. Reinhard, Ben W. Olive, and D. Gentry Steele\nThe Interaction of Archeology and Bioarcheology: Some Observations, by Thomas R. Hester and D. Gentry Steele\nReferences Cited