Archaic Period
6,500 B.C. – A.D. 700
The Archaic Period lasted from about 6, 500 B. C. to the introduction of the bow and arrow about A. D. 700-800. This long archaeological record is well preserved in Bexar and the surrounding counties. The Richard Beene Site in Bexar County (41BX831) (Thoms and Mandell 2007), for example, not only contains Archaic components, but also exhibits a continuous record of human occupation for the past 10,000 years. Archaeologists have divided this long Archaic sequence into chronological sub-periods (Perttula 2004: Table 1.1; Turner et al. 2011: 44-51).
The Archaic period is divided into three sub-periods: Early, Middle, and Late (which is often further sub-divided into the Late and Transitional or Terminal Archaic). These sub-periods are distinguished by the differences in material culture (such as projectile point types) and the availability of specific food resources brought about by changing climatic conditions.