Our next regular meeting will be Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
Casa Chapala, 9041 Research Blvd. #100 (Hwy 183 and Burnet Rd.)

The January program featured

Robert Lassen, Principal Investigator at AmaTerra Environmental, Inc., speaking on

The Crane Dune Site (41CR61), a Prehistoric Habitation, Lithic Cache, and Burial Site in Crane County, Texas.

The Crane Dune site (41CR61) was identified by AmaTerra archaeologists during a survey on behalf of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) prior to the widening of Highway 385 in Crane County, Texas. The site is primarily Late Prehistoric in age, but a diffuse Archaic component and a possible Paleoindian occupation were also encountered. The site is centered on stabilized sand dunes, and the densest cultural occupation spans a 40-50 cm thick dark anthrosol layer consisting of charcoal-stained sand with abundant cooking features. Also identified at the site was a lithic cache of flake blanks and two human burials. Other artifacts from the site include dart and arrow points, occasional groundstone and ceramic sherds, chert and quartzite debitage, occasional obsidian flakes and tools, faunal material ranging from rodents to bison, and kaolinite and turquoise pendants and beads from the burials. The Crane Dune site provides a wealth of archaeological data in an under-studied region of Texas.

Robert Lassen has been involved in Texas archaeology for over 25 years. In high school, he volunteered with the Houston and Fort Bend County Archaeological Societies, and later earn an MA in anthropology from Texas A&M and a PhD from the University of Tennessee. Robert specializes in lithic analysis, with a particular interest in Paleoindian lithics and the peopling of the Americas. He currently works as a Principal Investigator of Amaterra Environmental, Inc. in Austin and conducts cultural resource investigations throughout Texas and Oklahoma.


Photos courtesy of Robert Lassen.


Wondering what our programs are like? View the list of speakers and topics we've had since 2006. Or watch a few of the more recent programs on our YouTube channel.

The next regular meeting will be held on our usual schedule, the third Tuesday of the month at 7pm at Casa Chapala's Austin location, 9041 Research Blvd., Suite 100 (Hwy 183 and Burnet Rd.) Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month, except June and December. They are free and open to the public. For those who wish to come early, we gather around 5:45 PM for dinner, drinks, and fellowship. The short business meeting starts at 7:00 PM, followed by the guest speaker's presentation.

Upcoming

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