Current Achaeological Investigations at the Pilgrim's Pride Site (41CP304) In Camp County, Texas

Abstract

The Pilgrim's Pride site (41CP304) is a large (12+ acres) Archaic and Late Caddoan Titus phase site on the crest of a projecting upland landform overlooking, and 18 m above, the Big Cypress Creek floodplain to the east and the Walkers Creek floodplain to the south. The site is marked by several concentrations of ceramic sherds, midden deposits, and various features (including burials) from the Late Caddoan Titus phase component, along with at least one area in the eastern part of the site with Middle-Late Archaic tools, lithic debris, and fire-cracked rock. No features of Middle-Late Archaic age have been identified at the Pilgrim's Pride site, and it is doubtful that intact archeological deposits or features of Archaic age are preserved on the stable upland landform. Consequently, our winter 1999 investigations in advance of construction of a rendering plant by Pilgrim's Pride Corporation were on the better preserved Late Caddoan Titus phase component. The initial analysis of the decorated sherds from the Pilgrim's Pride site suggests it was occupied primarily during the 15th and 16th centuries, and this has been recently confirmed by three radiocarbon dates we secured on charred nutshells from three features. Our temporal estimate of the occupational span of the site will be further refined following the completion of the ceramic analyses, along with the analysis of radiocarbon and Oxidizable Carbon Ratio dates from features.