The Harroun Site: A Fulton Aspect Component of the Caddoan Area, Upshur County, Texas

The Harroun Site (University of Texas Site No. 41UR10), in the extreme northeastern corner of Upshur County, Texas, is one of several sites excavated in the Ferrell’s Bridge Reservoir area as a part of the Inter-Agency Archeological Salvage Project. The site, which consisted of four small mounds on the south floodplain of Cypress Creek, was located and recorded by E. Mott Davis and Bernard Golden in October, 1957. It promised to produce valuable archeological data, and since it was scheduled to be completely submerged by Ferrell’s Bridge Reservoir in the summer of 1959, immediate steps were taken to provide for salvage excavations prior to its inundation.

In December, 1957, a National Park Service field party excavated the smallest of the four mounds, Mound A. A single extended burial containing two pottery vessels and an arrow point, was found in a shallow grave beneath the mound. It appeared that Mound A had been erected for the purpose of covering the burial. While Mound A was being excavated, the entire site was mapped, several trenches and test pits were dug in the floodplain of Cypress Creek near Mound A, and some of the trees and bushes were cleared from the other three mounds.

In September, 1958, under terms of a co-operative agreement between The University of Texas and the National Park Service, a crew of the Texas Archeological Salvage Project returned to Harroun to complete the investigation of the site. Because of time limitations it was apparent that all three of the remaining mounds (B, C, and D) could not be entirely excavated. Therefore, it was decided to concentrate on Mound C since it appeared superficially to be the least disturbed of the three. After excavation of Mound C was well under way, a portion of the crew was moved to Mound B and it was also opened. Both mounds were found to contain burned remains of house structures.