Burro Mesa Archeological District

The Burro Mesa Archeological District encompasses a quarry in Big Bend National Park used by Native Americans as a source of chert for chipped-stone tools.  The quarry was used intermittently beginning in the paleoindian period starting about 12,000 to 13,000 years ago.  The chert is found in a variety of colors and rests on top of tuff beds which themselves contain veins of kaolinite that was suitable for making claystone ornaments and beads.  The quarry area is carpeted with lithic debris from the initial knapping process by which chert was  rough-shaped into material of suitable size and shape for later refinement at more convenient locations. 

The quarry was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 11, 1985. 

See also

National Register of Historic Places listings in Big Bend National Park
National Register of Historic Places listings in Brewster County, Texas

References

Category:National Register of Historic Places in Big Bend National Park, Texas
Category:Buildings and structures in Brewster County, Texas
Category:Big Bend National Park
Category:Archaeological sites in Texas
Category:Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas
Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas