Research
Through archeological research, education and conservation, SHUMLA is unraveling mysteries of the past, training students in best practices, sharing discoveries with the public, and preserving irreplaceable legacies for future generations.
SHUMLA is located within one of the most significant archeological regions in the world: The Lower Pecos Border Canyonlands. This region, which includes portions of southwest Texas and northern Mexico, provides one of the best-preserved and longest records of Native American lifeways in North America, from 11,000 BP to European contact. Due to a unique combination of ecological and geological factors, rockshelters in the region contain well-preserved archeological remains resulting from thousands of years of human habitation. Depicted on the walls of these rockshelters are magnificent polychrome murals dating from 4,000 years ago to European contact.
SHUMLA’s research team—including college students, interns and volunteers—is conducting extensive documentation of rock art sites north of the border. Staff recently completed the three-year Lower Pecos Rock Art Recording and Preservation Project (LPRARPP), recording 21 sites, documenting over 1,300 pictographic figures and archiving more than 15,000 photographs. With the successful completion of LPRARPP, staff has moved forward to a new phase of research, the Border Canyonlands Archeological Project (BCAP).
BCAP is a five-year research initiative that serves as an important tool for addressing Lower Pecos region cultural resources sites. Building new information from cutting-edge research practices, BCAP provides important insights into the lifeways of the peoples who inhabited the Lower Pecos. BCAP has two simultaneous phases: the Rock Art Preservation Initiative (RAPI) and the Human Landscape Investigations (HLI).
Audio, visual and textual data generated through BCAP are archived digitally and in hard copy at SHUMLA. Originals and digital copies ultimately will be archived at the Center for Archeological Studies at Texas State University. Data generated through BCAP will be made available to a broader audience through site reports, publications in peer reviewed journals and books, university theses, public and professional presentations, and exhibits in order to increase awareness, and promote research and preservation of the region’s exceptional cultural resources.
