Archeological investigations at the Indian Springs site were conducted from 2000 through 2006. Located on a prominent mid-slope bench just west of a prominent fresh-water spring, the excavations discovered over 14,000 artifacts and exposed most or all of four different prehistoric structures. Of particular note, Structure 1 is one of the largest and earliest structures found in the Texas Panhandle. It dates to the latter part of the Plains Woodland period, and it probably had a timber framework and an earth-covered roof.

Cruse, J. Brett (2007)

“Architectural Variability of the Late Woodland and Plains Village Occupations at the Indian Springs Site (41RB81), Roberts County, Texas.” Current Archeology in Texas 9(1):11–18. A Publication of the Texas Historical Commission.

In this article, Wilkens notes that the “Big House” (Structure 1) at the Indian Springs site is an extremely important archeological find in the Texas Panhandle. This unusual structure was built, occupied, and abandoned around A.D. 910 to 1030. This squarely places the house in the Plains Woodland period, making it one of the oldest and largest (10.5 x 8.2 meters) houses that has been excavated in the region. This unusual house is situated in a prominent position, perched high on a talus slope bench with an outstanding view of overlooking the West Pasture valley.

Wilkens, L. Douglas (2010)

“The Big House, Structure 1 at Indian Springs (41RB81), Roberts County, Texas.” Transactions of the 45th Regional Archeological Symposium for Southeastern New Mexico and Western Texas, edited by Pinky Robertson, pp. 43–54. Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Federation of Archeological Societies, April 3, 2009.

Published by the Midland Archeological Society, Midland, Texas.

This is a prehistoric murder-mystery; a “who done it” involving the hasty burial of a Native American killed by eight stone-tipped arrows. A bone radiocarbon date indicate this adult male lived around A.D. 620 to 700, during the Woodland Period, ca. A.D. 620 to 700. Bone isotope data indicate that his diet was that of a generalized plains hunter-gatherer who probably ate lots of deer but little or no bison (noting that a diet including lots of bison was typical of the later Plains Villagers).

Wilkens, L. Douglas (2001)

“The Dykema Burial (41RB106): A Violent Death in the Texas Panhandle, ca. A.D. 660.” The Steward: Collected Papers on Texas Archeology 6:82–89. A Publication of the Texas Archeological Stewardship Network.

In 1994, an archeological excavation was conducted to investigate a scatter of large caliche rocks located in a flat open area approximately one-quarter to one-half mile away from the canyon rim. The rocks were thought to represent a probable prehistoric structure, but the excavation revealed a secondary cremation burial of an adult. The highly fragmented and charred remains, representing only a portion of the skeleton, were identified as belonging to an adult, 20 to 34 years of age at death, and probably a female. Learn more at the link below.

Wilkens, L. Douglas, Billy R. Harrison, and John R. Erickson (with contributions by Ethne Barnes, Douglas Owsley, and Kari S. Bruwelheide) (2001)

“The Erickson Caprock Site (41RB102): A Secondary Cremation Burial in Roberts County, Texas.” The Steward: Collected Papers on Texas Archeology 6:59–79. A Publication of the Texas Archeological Stewardship Network.

This short article appeared in Dental Anthropology, the journal of the Dental Anthropology Association. An isolated cairn burial was found eroding out on a talus slope of the canyon wall less than a half mile southwest of Hank’s House. Excavation recovered the remains of a 3- to 5-year-old child (sex indeterminate) radiocarbon dated to the late Plains Village period at A.D. 1290–1410. The child’s skeleton revealed a dental anomaly called a “impacted horizontal, conical mesiodens” in the right maxilla. This simply means that the child had an extra (supernumerary) tooth that protruded horizontally through the jaw. The exact cause of this dental abnormality is not known, but it is often associated with cleft lip and palate or cleidocranial dysplasia. In this case, the mesiodens points to a serious underlying health condition that probably contributed to the child’s early death.

Broehm, Cory J., Lisa B. Hunter, and Douglas K. Boyd (2011)

“A Horizontal Mesiodens in a Child Buried at Hank’s Site (41RB109), A Prehistoric Plains Village Site in the Texas Panhandle.”

Dental Anthropology 24 (2–3):55–58.

In this article, Charles Frederick contrasts the archeological findings made in the intensively burned pithouse called Drover’s House, with those made in a nearby pithouse that was unburned, called Pete’s house. In Pete’s House, even the floor surface was difficult to find and trace out, and the postholes along the walls and inside the structure were even harder to detect. In contrast, the burning episode that destroyed Drover’s house enhanced archeological preservation to the point that all the key architectural details were beautifully preserved.

Frederick, Charles D. (2017)

In Praise of Burned Houses. Part I in: “Of Burnt Dogs and Melted Cats: A Close Look at the Death (and Resurrection) of Two Plains Village Tradition houses (Drover and Pete) from Whistling Squaw (41RB108), Roberts County, Northeastern Texas Panhandle.” Transactions of the 51st Regional Archaeological Symposium for Southeastern New Mexico and Western Texas, edited by Marisue Potts, pp. 52–77. Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Federation of Archeological Societies, April 9, 2016.

The burning event that destroyed Drover’s house left behind important archeological evidence that allows for a detailed reconstruction of the superstructure of the house. In a novel reverse engineering analysis, Wilkens collaborated with architects and engineers from Parkhill, Smith & Cooper in Lubbock, Texas, to examine the wood and earth superstructure that once covered the house.

Wilkens, L. Douglas (2017)

The Reverse Engineering (Resurrection) of Drover’s Superstructure. Part II in: Part I in: “Of Burnt Dogs and Melted Cats: A Close Look at the Death (and Resurrection) of Two Plains Village Tradition houses (Drover and Pete) from Whistling Squaw (41RB108), Roberts County, Northeastern Texas Panhandle.” Transactions of the 51st Regional Archaeological Symposium for Southeastern New Mexico and Western Texas, edited by Marisue Potts, pp. 78–98. Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Federation of Archeological Societies, April 9, 2016.

This short article in the journal of the Plains Anthropological Society summarizes the sites and findings in the West Pasture of Erickson’s M-Cross Ranch. Other researchers have suggested that farming was of relatively minimal importance to the prehistoric Plains Villagers in the Texas Panhandle. This looks at a variety of circumstantial evidence and concludes that the primary archeological evidence is not sufficient to determine if Panhandle villagers practiced intensive agriculture or only dabbled in farming. One way to help answer this question is to conduct systematic landscape analyses to look for subtle evidence of how these people may have practices dryland farming and/or irrigated agriculture.

Boyd, Douglas K. (2008)

“Prehistoric Agriculture on the Canadian River of the Texas Panhandle: New Insights from West Pasture Sites on the M-Cross Ranch.” Plains Anthropologist 53(205):33–57.

A sample of sherds from sites in Erickson’s West Pasture was included in a comparative analysis of Plains Village ceramic sherds from the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. Michael Quigg directed the study and subjected ceramic sherds to geochemical sourcing using petrographic analysis and Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) of trace elements. Their study sample included 80 ceramic sherds and 8 natural clay samples from 15 sites in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles. Among these were 18 ceramic sherds from four M-Cross Ranch sites.

Quigg, J. Michael, Paul M. Matchen, Charles D. Frederick, Brittney Gregory and Robert A. Ricklis (2013)

“Chapter 10: Research Questions Addressed.” In The Long View Site (41RB112): Data Recovery of Two Late Prehistoric Village Period Components in Roberts County, Texas, Volume I, by J. Michael Quigg, et al., pp. 497–583. Archeological Studies Program Report No. 147, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin. TRC Environmental Corporation, Austin.

This is Hank’s interpretation of events that happen when archeologists came to conduct a dig on the ranch. Hank’s dilemma is trying to be the responsible Head of Ranch Security and protect the archeological site, while at the same time suppressing his doggie instincts to gnaw on the ancient bones the archeologists were finding uncovering. You will want to see how this story turns out!

John R. Erickson, the author of the popular Hank the Cowdog series, aims for a young adult age group with this wholesome historical novel about 14-year-old Riley McDaniels and his brother, Coy, who are living with their mother on a West Texas ranch in 1927. Having only each other for company, the boys expect a long, dull, hot summer of tending cattle. Things get exciting, however, when their friend Alex Kaplan arrives accompanied by Dr. Montrose, a noted archeologist who believes that the McDaniels ranch may be home to archaeological sites that could unlock secrets about Texas' ancient past. The boys are soon caught up in the excitement and realize some important things about themselves, their family, and their relationships to the past, present, and future. A fast-paced novel with strong characters and a vividly realized setting, this will particularly appeal to boys with a taste for outdoor adventure stories.