Harrell Site facts for kids
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Harrell Site
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| Nearest city | South Bend, Texas |
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| Area | 10 acres (4.0 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000825 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | July 19, 1964 |
The Harrell Site, also known as the M.D. Harrell Site, is a really old Native American village site. It is located near South Bend, Texas in Young County, Texas. This special place helps us learn about how people lived long ago.
Contents
Discovering the Harrell Site
The Harrell Site was found in 1937. Workers were surveying the land for a new lake called Possum Kingdom Lake. The site sits on the land above the Brazos River.
Early Digs and Discoveries
Archeologists, who are like history detectives, started digging here in 1938. They worked with the Work Projects Administration and the University of Texas. They believed the site was once a farming village for Plains Indians.
What Archeologists Found
The main part of the Harrell Site is a large area called a midden. A midden is like an ancient trash heap, full of things people threw away. This helps us understand their daily lives. Archeologists also found many cooking areas, called hearths. There were also more than one hundred burial sites nearby.
Ancient Tools and Pottery
The site holds artifacts from a time called the Late Prehistoric period. This was roughly between 1200 AD and 1600 AD. Diggers found many tools made from chipped stone. These included sharp points for hunting and scrapers for preparing food or hides. They also discovered pieces of fired clay bowls and jars.
Special Discoveries
The Harrell Site is famous for a specific type of arrow or spear point. It was first found here and is now called the Harrell Point. This site also helped archeologists understand a group of ancient people called the Henrietta Focus. It was named a "type site" for them in 1946. This means it's a key example of their culture.
A Settled Village
Finding so many hearths and burial sites tells us something important. It suggests that people lived here for a long time. They were not just passing through. Some of the burials were covered with big limestone slabs. Even today, archeologists are still working at the Harrell Site. They continue to uncover more secrets from the past.
