For St. Stephen’s fifth grader, Dylan D., it was a find of a lifetime as he, his fellow students and those from Austin’s Kirby Hall School scoured the ground at a Wimberley ranch. Dylan discovered a perfectly shaped Mescal knife once used by Native Americans thousands of years ago. Archaeology and anthropology are part of the curriculum at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, culminating in a middle school trip to study the rock art of the Lower Pecos at the Shumla School near Seminole Canyon.

The Rutherford Ranch, part of the City of Austin’s Water Quality Protection Lands and only minutes down the road from St. Stephen’s on FM 3237, is committed to preserving its archeological treasures. The archeological curriculum involves GIS mapping and is collaboration between St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, the Kirby Hall School, the City of Austin, and Blanton and Associates Environmental Consulting. The ranch has limited access to the public as part of the Water Quality Protection Lands, which was established to help protect Austin's drinking water.

Dylan, a ten year old in the 5th grade at St. Stephen’s, found the knife and documented its location with a GPS (Global Positioning) unit. The site appears to be a complex of activity areas that included a prehistoric rock quarry for stone tools, plant processing areas, and a campsite. The evidence suggests that Native Americans used the site as part of a series of regional quarry camps for “chert.” Sometimes called native flint, “chert” is cryptocrystalline quartz. When hit at the correct angle, the “chert” flakes off in sections. These sections have exposed edges that are razor sharp and can be used as cutting tools, useful for processing plants or game. “Chert” was very valuable prehistorically and was traded across North America by native peoples 10,000 years ago. Every find the students make is flagged and the item is returned to the exact local where it was found.

“I couldn’t believe it. The field trip was almost over when I found the knife and I couldn’t wait to show it to everyone!” said Dylan.

Richard Stark, Ph.D. Head of School at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Wimberley, coordinated the effort between the two schools and the City of Austin. Stark, a professional archaeologist has his Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Texas and has 15 years of experience in teaching anthropology and documenting material culture. Stark is thrilled to be achieving the school’s goal of teaching students how to collect scientific data in a field experience.

“This is such an exciting area to study and a great way to learn. We don’t want to disturb the context and the stories preserved at these sites. We make sure we flag the artifacts and leave them exactly where they were discovered, only taking the data and our own interpretations,” said Stark.

The field visits will culminate in a paper to be presented to the Texas Archeological Research Lab this spring by Stark and the students.

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