Ancient Landscapes of South Texas at the Nexus of Natural and Social History: An Educational, Community Engagement and Research Initiative for the Twenty-First Century

Authors

• Roseann Bacha Garza, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
• Juan L. Gonzalez, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
• Edward González-Tennant, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
• Starr E. Hein, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
• Christopher L. Miller, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
• Russell K. Skowronek, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2023

Abstract

Prior to 2009 the geoarcheological landscape of the lower Rio Grande valley was virtually a tabula rasa within the scholarship of archeology and geology. To rectify this shortcoming the Community Historical Archeology Project with Schools (CHAPS) Program was created from an interdisciplinary team of scholars with research interests in the Rio Grande valley while working initially with undergraduate and graduate students conducting in-depth studies of family farms and working with collectors to identify archeological sites. Through time the CHAPS Program created forums for locally focused K-12 education while developing community engagement initiatives to encourage public heritage tourism. One, the Ancient Landscapes of South Texas initiative, is a model for exploring how an environmental archeology approach can bridge the earth and social sciences while revealing the deep natural history and nuanced cultural history of the region. Today the CHAPS Program is recognized regionally, nationally, and internationally for its innovative approach integrating scholarly research, with K-17 education, and community engagement. From bilingual maps, podcasts, webpages, and films to use of augmented reality and photogrammetry for the 3D recording of buildings and structures, what was once a tabula rasa is becoming a model for public archeology in Texas.

Comments

©2024 by Texas Archeological Society. Preserved in ScholarWorks.

Recommended Citation

Bacha Garza, R., Gonzalez, J., González-Tennant, E., Hein, S., Miller, C., & Skowronek, R. (2023). Ancient Landscapes of South Texas at the Nexus of Natural and Social History: An Educational, Community Engagement and Research Initiative for the Twenty-First Century. Bulletin of the Texas Archeological Society, 94, 119–139. 

First Page

119

Last Page

139

Publication Title

Bulletin of the Texas Archeological Society