First identified at site 41WR123 in Texas, Feature 19 is a Formative Period hearth that included two circular soil stains, a concentration of charcoal, and several griddle fragments. The hearth was likely used repeatedly to roast or parch grass seeds and to cook meat. Pices of bedrock called “caliche” are visible in the bottom of the test unit. The site is an ancient campsite in the Permian Basin occupied multiple times over thousands of years. Most radiocarbon dates for the site fall between 750 BC and AD 1295.
In 2021, SEARCH and TRC archaeologists excavated 10 archaeological sites in the Permian Basin across modern-day New Mexico and Texas. The website where this 3D model is featured shares those excavation results as well as the stories from the past that can be interpreted from the findings.
Learn more: http://www.permianbasinhistory.com.
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