A critical component in defining the ancient cultures of the Native Americans of Texas is the study of the kinds of artifacts they made and used. The Dana Harper Collection and Database provides for a comprehensive and thorough examination of a broad range of authentic Texas artifacts of high quality. These artifacts were found or acquired by Mr. Harper over several decades, beginning when he was 5 or 6, walking creeks, cow trails and roads on a family ranch in Colorado County. The vast collection includes artifacts from all across Texas, Louisiana, and into Coahuila, Mexico. Because of the extensive nature of the collection, it can provide a great variety of research opportunities for archaeologists. For example, the artifact collection database is searchable. Most specimens have additional data that comes up by simply clicking on the artifact. This includes the type of artifact, critical locational data (provenience by county, region, river basin, etc.), the finder or previous collection, and raw material used in manufacture.

Here, I offer some some brief observations on the extensive and diverse material culture in this collection. These comments point to just a few of the research projects that could be available for archaeologists. Moreover, the categories and types provide excellent artifact identification opportunities for collectors and casual visitors to the website.

The early cultures of Texas are termed "Paleoindian." It is a period that begins in the late Ice Age and continues with distinctive artifacts that vary among regional patterns until about 8800 years ago. Of great interest are Clovis sites and artifacts. Clovis dates around 13,000 years ago and is the best understood early human occupation of Texas. There are currently debates over whether there was an "earlier than Clovis" presence in Texas and North America, said to date up to 16,000 years ago. But, whether or not this is verified by ongoing research, the artifacts of the Clovis peoples remain the earliest broadly documented late Ice Age culture. The Harper Collection contains a vast array of Clovis points, their classic polyhedral blade cores and related stone tools. Folsom follows Clovis, also in the waning Ice Age era. Both Clovis and Folsom are seen as "big-game" hunters, with Clovis hunting mammoth, and Folsom, found with extinct bison larger than those of later times. The Plainview peoples also hunted these bison.

The Harper Collection features the artifacts of a number of these, and later Paleoindian patterns. There are differences over the typology of several projectile point types, including Midland in east Texas and adjacent Louisiana. The Cypress type, defined by Harper and a colleague, seems to define formally some of the southeast Texas Paleoindian points. A comparatively new type, St. Mary's Hall points, of around 10,400 years ago, is firmly represented in central and east-central Texas, and into southern parts of the state. A broader distribution of Golondrina points (around 9000 years ago) is documented. Of similar age is the well-represented San Patrice point, with a number of variants shown here, as well as "Albany" scrapers, side-notched, beveled tools made on flakes or flat pebbles and perhaps used as scrapers, spokeshaves or knives.

Of particular importance in the collection is the large number of Cody Complex artifacts-- especially Scottsbluff points. Finally, the Angostura point represents a typological quagmire, examples of which are in the collection.

The Paleoindian specimens illustrate the use of a wide variety of raw materials, many noted in the Database. For example, some Clovis points of east Texas and western Louisiana are made from flint of central Texas origins, Some made of Georgetown flint are found 300 miles from its central Texas source.

Across coastal Louisiana and much of Texas, projectile points have long been separated into "types." Each type has its own distinctive shape, a set of technological traits, a known geographic distribution, and its place in time has been defined by radiocarbon dating and excavation of stratified sites.

The two regions have many distinctive, yet untyped or unnamed artifacts for which there are only nicknames and limited data on distribution. Some of these "types" still lack key elements, such as age, shape and technology. It is in these areas that the Harper Collection can make a real contribution to the archaeological record, as well as provide valuable comparative data for both archaeologists and collectors. When looking at the database, one can see such types that remain "provisional", such as Zella (an unfortunate use for this form, which badly needs a re-definition), Early Stemmed Lanceolate (known best from middle part of the Texas coastal zone) and Eagle Lake (an eastern central Texas form). "Mahaffey" is applied to certain elongated forms, and needs clarification. It is very helpful that the clear photographs of the artifacts enhances the observation of technological traits and the variability in shapes found in most types.

A number of artifact "shapes" characterize the projectile points of Southwestern Coahuila. Indeed, studies of the archaeology of this region are stymied by an absence of defined types, by which archaeologists evaluate data and communicate with others. In the database is the provisional type known as Charcos, along with a variety of other dart points and arrow points for which classification efforts have been minimal or non-existent. In addition, there are triangular, concave base artifacts that are often called "mescal knives," but whose function is unknown. These have been found on short wooden hafts in the Cueva de la Candelaria burial cave in Coahuila.

One more example involves some of the Archaic points of central Texas that can be studied for their typological integrity, including Austin, which visually often appears closely linked to Pedernales. Additionally, the northeast Texas-Louisiana border zone have yielded points noted here as "Cache River" and "Hickory Ridge", both potentially inappropriate terms for this area, defined for Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa and beyond. The "Mineral Springs Knife" form may be applicable, though their long triangular form needs clarification with similar Gahagan bifaces. Additional research is also needed regarding the relationship between Gahagan bifaces and the "Darl Knives" of central Texas.

Aside from the excellent examples of chipped stone artifacts, the Harper Collection contains a variety of ground stone tools and ornaments, most from the eastern area of the collection. Many are from Woodland and Mississippian times, during which the region was sandwiched between these farming societies and the hunter-gatherers to the west. The boatstones represent atlatl (spearthrower) weights, as might the bannerstones though some of the latter may have other functions, perhaps as ornaments. Of technological interest is a small unfinished bannerstone (below #1934) that shows incomplete drilling of the typical perforation. Likewise, the enigmatic plummets, of which there is a good sample, might contribute to studies that explore their use as tools or other functional artifacts versus their possible role as ornaments or charms. The daily tools of the area are especially seen in the East Texas categories including celts and grooved axes of stone and those made of hematite.

Among the stone artifacts are two pipes made of catlinite, one from Limestone County, Texas, east of Waco, and the other, Vernon Parish, Louisiana. Catlinite is found near Pipestone, Minnesota, and these artifacts indicate they reached these two areas through trade contacts in Woodland or Mississippian times. There is also a stone pendant with two carefully incised horned (feathered?) rattlesnake motifs. The artifact was found in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, bordered on the west by the Sabine River. Serpent motifs can be found on artifacts from both Mississippian and Middle Woodland cultures, and on specimens such as the Dienst shell gorget from Bell County, central Texas. The motif is common in Mesoamerica.

From central Texas, there are 29 "Waco sinkers." These are distinctive shaped, ground and notched stone artifacts, There has been much debate and speculation about their function, long thought to have been sinkers for fishing lines, net weights or even bola stones.

An icon among Texas collectors is the corner tang biface. While often described as "knives," that function has never been fully demonstrated by scientific wear pattern research. Some specimens end up being reworked and used as drills. Then, there are the very large corner tangs. One example in the Harper Collection (specimen #1919; 10 inches long) is from Live Oak County. It was discovered with 7 other corner tangs (including #1832) and 9 conch (whelk) shell gorgets. These are also known from cemetery sites, for example, the Silo site (about 35 miles northeast) where 5 large corner tangs were found with burials, dated late in the Archaic. At the Ernest Witte site in Austin County, 2 very large corner tangs and a number of shell gorgets, similar to the Live Oak County specimens, were found with Late Archaic burials.

The large corner tangs are almost certainly symbols of individual status, wealth or power, and perhaps have ritual or ceremonial purposes. Additionally, corner tangs were apparently items of exchange. Others have suggested that their production area was the central Texas area with its high quality cherts; from this region they were trade items that made their way into southeast and south Texas, as well as other areas.

The example here of the Live Oak county assemblage of corner tangs and conch shell artifacts is but one case in which the collection will be valuable for research, involving students, archaeologists and collectors.

A number of shell artifacts are in the collection, most of which appear to have been ornaments, though there are also clam "scrapers" used for daily tasks. The ornaments include the 9 shell gorgets from Live Oak County, mentioned above. These are made from a section of a whelk's outer whorl, and have drilled perforations.

Also of note is the group of 42 Oliva sayana shell tinklers found in a cache in Nueces County. These are interesting artifacts that derive their name from examples found in situ with burials in the Rio Grande Delta, and in which drilled coyote teeth were suspended to serve as 'clappers."

The Dana Harper Collection represents a vast and diverse array of artifacts, with an emphasis on chipped stone dart and arrow points, as well as a variety of tool forms. Also featured are ground stone tools and ornaments, as well as examples of shell and bone. The artifacts of Texas Native Americans constitute the majority of the artifacts in the collection, but with significant presence of artifacts from Louisiana. Moreover, there are useful examples of artifacts from southwestern Coahuila, an area of which little is known archaeologically.

The collection is fertile ground for collaboration between archaeologists and collectors. Such cooperation has been shown many times to advance the knowledge of Texas prehistory. I have written several articles on how information can be shared between the two groups, among which there has been much distrust and hostility. There is great potential here for research and scientific publication, as seen in past cooperative efforts in Texas.

I have noted a few important parts of the collection, though there is much more of interest and significance. There have been a few private websites similar to this one in the United States, but none that I am aware of that provide such variety and visual impact, completed by a Database allowing easy access to information about each specimen. Both archaeologists and collectors will find the Dana Harper Collection and Database website an excellent source for reviewing and studying the wide array of artifacts found in Texas.