Prehistoric Indian Campsite

About 80 percent of the shell in Texas middens is Rangia cuneata and most of the rest bay oyster. Investigators once thought storms had piled up the shell, but undisturbed strata, artifacts and hearths show people made them. Some are the leftovers of one meal for three or four people; others are mounds more than 500 meters long and 10 meters thick. The two oldest known on the coast, near Galveston Bay, were first occupied about 3,500 years ago. Calcium carbonate leached from the shells preserves bone, and the shells record past climates and coastlines.

What the plaque says

Prehistoric Indian Campsite In this vicinity are the remains of a prehistoric Indian refuse pile, comprised mainly of clam shells. Archeologists call such sites "shell middens." They are the result of centuries of shellfish harvesting by early Indian groups. shells found at this site have been identified as belonging to the rangia cuneata (common rangia) clam, a species once found in abundant numbers in Galveston Bay. As the shell midden grew in size over the years, it became the foundation for a large Indian campsite. Stone tools and pottery uncovered here are evidence of the later occupation. Although the tribal origins of the Indians cannot be determined, it is known that both Orcoquisac and Karankawa once lived in the area in historic times. Shell middens similar to this one were once more common along the streams feeding into the bay. Storms, subsidence, and natural erosion, however, have destroyed many, as have mining operations that used the shells for road construction projects. As a result, this is one of the best remaining examples of a prehistoric midden and campsite in Harris County. Because of its significance, the site has been afforded special protection as a State Archeological Landmark. (1988)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

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• Texas Seaport Museum and the Elissa — 23 mi
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• The Strand — 23 mi
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More markers nearby

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