Near Nassau Bay in Harris County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Harris County Boys' School Archeological Site

Photographed By Jim Evans, December 2, 2011

1. Harris County Boys' School Archeological Site Marker

Inscription. In this vicinity lies evidence of a prehistoric Indian campsite and burial ground that takes its current name from the property on which it resided at the time of its discovery. The archeological site is classified as a shell midden site because of the presence of a midden, or refuse pile, of oyster and rangia clam shell. The midden collected as the result of early inhabitants consuming shellfish and leaving the empty shells where they ate, which was usually at or near their campsite.

Archeological excavations revealed a variety of artifacts, including a Plainview dart point, which is associated with very early Indians. Its discovery supported radiocarbon testing that had dated part of the midden to 1476 B.C.

Evidence of 32 burials was uncovered in another section of the site. Analysis of ceramics interred with the burials dated the cemetery from the first millennium A.D.

Scientific investigation of the Harris County Boys' School Archeological Site led to other studies of the cultural aspects of the prehistoric inhabitants of the area. The site remains as a significant example of the shell midden, once relatively common along the Texas Coast, but now rarely found due to beach erosion and subsidence.

Erected 1985 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number

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10678.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Native Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1476.

Location. 29° 34.068′ N, 95° 4.148′ W. Marker is near Nassau Bay, Texas, in Harris County. Marker is on Clear Lake Park Road north of NASA Road 1, on the right. The marker is located in Clear Lake Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Seabrook TX 77586, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Webster Presbyterian Church (a few steps from this marker); Apollo Mission Control Center (approx. 1.3 miles away); Little Joe II and BP-22: Safety First (approx. 1.7 miles away); Little Joe II (approx. 1.7 miles away); H-1 Engine: A Powerful Start (approx. 1.7 miles away); Mercury-Redstone: Putting the First Americans in Space (approx. 1.7 miles away); J-2 Engine: Versatile Sidekick (approx. 1.7 miles away); F-1 Engine: Power for the Rocket (approx. 1.7 miles away).

More about this marker. This location is also in the U.S. Department of the Interior's National Register of Historic Places.

Also see . . .
1. Harris County Boys’ School. Prehistoric Texas - Coastal Prairies & Marshlands

Photographed By Jim Evans

2. Harris County Boys' School Archeological Site Marker

This marker is on the left by the fence. To the right of the door is the Webster Presbyterian Church marker.

(Submitted on December 6, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)

2. Harris County Boys’ School Site. Texas State Historical Association (Submitted on December 6, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 2, 2011, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,202 times since then and 52 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 2, 2011, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. 2. submitted on December 18, 2011, by Jim Evans of Houston, Texas. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.