The Creek Shelter Project–HCAA-KR-44 (August 2019)

Authors: Trei and Marvin Gohlke

In December of 2018, Marvin Gohlke, Jr. and his son, Trei (Marvin Gohlke, III) were exploring along a bluff above a creek on a new place they had bought in Western Kerr County. This bluff runs approximately 100’ above the spring-fed creek below. Marvin was walking along the top of the bluff while Trei was exploring the ledges just below.

“Dad come down here and see what I have discovered”, Trei told his Dad.
“Is it worth me crawling down there to check it out?”, Marvin asked.
“Yes Dad, it is”, Trei exclaimed.

Trei had discovered a small rock shelter with a narrow cave going back into the cliff an unknown distance. Several days later they returned and dug a small test hole just inside the entrance to the shelter, finding several cultural items including a chert core, a biface, and some charcoal. The entrance to the shelter contained dirt fill approximately 30-40 centimeters deep on average. See site photos below.

Over the next seven months Marvin and Trei have been returning to the shelter, excavating and recording what they have found, which includes 10 arrow points or parts of points, chert tools, a piece of a broken metate, bone, and numerous areas of charcoal, along with a small intact hearth, complete with charcoal. All the bone found in the shelter appears to have been from small animals, possibly rabbits and squirrels, which prehistoric Indians were apparently cooking in there.

Future excavations will take Trei and Marvin deeper into the cave and to perhaps exciting new discoveries. Depending on what else is found, and if a writeup would be accepted, Trei, 14 years old, plans to submit a paper for publishing and possibly give a presentation at the Texas Archeological Society Annual Meeting in the future.