Geoarcheology along the Rio Grande River of New Mexico and Texas

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Geoarchaeology Within the Context of Cultural Resource Management (CRM) Today (Part Two)" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Geoarcheological explorations along the Rio Grande River over the last century, conducted by or for the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States Section (USIBWC) have shown that many archeological sites are buried in the floodplain or above it. Burial of these archeological sites by the Rio Grande were secondary in nature and cause, however, the many side arroyos temporarily damming the river with debris flows were the main culprits. This interim damming was brought on by heavy rainfall events away from the river resulting in heavy sediment transport towards the river in this desert environment. Large arroyo debris flows into the river formed short-term dams that backed up the river until the Rio Grande once again flowed through. This backup allowed suspended sediments to settle out forming a temporary lake that buried habitation locations that are now archeological sites today. This paper will address buried sites located along the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico towards the Big Bend Region of Texas. Implications for further examination of an overlooked geological and geoarcheological feature of debris flows are discussed. Importance in Southwestern studies of a changing Rio Grande before it was dammed are examined and the consequences today.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Geoarchaeology Within the Context of Cultural Resource Management (CRM) Today (Part Two)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 52150