ABOUT

We are a group of dedicated avocational and professional archaeologists dedicated to preserving Texas’ past through the careful excavating and documentation of endangered sites and by working with and promoting respectful and mutual beneficial relationships with collectors to further document Texas prehistory.

Background:

So ... you have found an Indian artifact and you want to know more about it! Well, you have come to the right place. My name is David Calame, Sr. I have lived in south Texas all my life. In 1996 I bought a small ranch in Frio Co. and began finding arrowheads. I would walk for hours looking at the ground, flipping flint flakes, and occasionally picking up a point.

Finding these artifacts sent me on a journey on how to properly catalog and document an archaeological site. I discovered that recording the archaeological sites folks find on their land, and the collection of artifacts they have found, can be more fun than actually finding arrowheads yourself!

Since those days back in 1996, I have recorded hundreds of prehistoric archaeological sites, over a wide area of Texas, and I have enjoyed visiting with the land owners who allowed me access to their land.

Some of my accomplishments since then include:

2001-2007 - South Texas Archaeological Association [STAA] - designated Documentation Chair
2002 & 2005 - Awarded the Jimmy Mitchell Award for Avocational Archaeologist of the Year
2006 & 2007 - Texas Archaeological Association [TAS] - Awarded the CK Chandler Award for Most Prolific Site Recorder in Texas
1999 - 2007 - Texas Historical Commission [THC] - Volunteer Archaeological Steward
2007 - THC - Awarded the Norman G. Flaigg Award for Exceptional Performance as a THC Steward

Site Cataloguing:

Recording archaeological sites can be a very satisfying experience. Before I bought my ranch, others had occasionally found artifacts on this place. But no one had ever documented where or what they had found. Sadly, though the previous owners knew they had found dozens of stone artifacts, those artifacts had been displaced and dispersed over the years.

I set about to make sure the knowledge of what I had found on my land did not suffer the same fate! I photographed every artifact we found, drew site maps and sent all my pictures and paper work into the Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory (TARL) at the University of Texas at Austin.

Why Catalog a Site?

It will be available for research, so that future Texans will know all they can know about the strong, resilient stone age people who lived on this very land long before us. And the best part is, what can be learned from site documentation will continue to pay benefits to Texans as technological advances allow more information to be gleaned from our humble research.

Property Rights:

Before I got into archaeology, I was a strong property rights advocate. The Sierra Club's interference with water rights, and the federal government's interference with the Endangered Species Act has caused all sorts of trouble for property owners. One day while looking for arrowheads on my place, the thought crossed my mind that archaeology could possibly become a problem for private land owners too. That alarmed me.

Private land owners have very legitimate concerns about their land. Two things they do not want:

Trespassers
Someone else coming on their land and telling them what they can and cannot do!

Land owners don't want anyone jumping their fence to look for arrowheads without permission, and they for sure do not want someone telling them what they can and cannot do on their land because of an archaeological site!

As a land owner, you deserve to be informed about how prehistoric burials might affect your property including possibly losing the use of portions of your land.

I have developed much knowledge in this area over the years. If you have found something on your land, or if you want someone to come look to see if you might have an archaeological site on your property, please drop me a line. Click here to email me.

Borderland Archaeology's Purpose:

We plan to add continuously to this site, so that you can get the most information possible about Texas archaeology. This will include documentation of sites, publishing research articles and showcasing interesting artifacts from digsites. We intend to work with property owners, so that vital archaeological information is not lost or discarded.

I have hardly ever walked 100 acres of Texas without finding at least some evidence of prehistoric man. I guess Texas has always been a dang good place to live!