The Zueberbueler Shelter
It has been twenty five plus years the Pecos Museum has been offered to the public. Yes, it is true there has been a few problems with misspelling and a few displays seem to be taking forever to complete, but there are many reasons we are so proud of ourselves. Our claim of the only complete museum of displays, offering man of the archaic era, is supported by the many items not to be seen elsewhere. The quality of stone work, weaving and man himself, not offered elsewhere. Our history of man, archaic man, over eight thousand years at one site, can not be rivalled. Add to these displays information of his eating and crafts and we offer one of the rare chances to learn of man, early man. What museum, virtual or physical, can offer such a total? Oldest pottery vessel of the Americas. Man's first use of clay for cooking in the new world. Oldest and first weavings, sandals, and mats in the history of American Museums. A display of beads and pendants, with a 10,000 plus, bead necklace. A world record for pre-historic man? Teaching aid sandals, over 60, an adult and child's pair. Plus the tools and how they were used. A sandal the size of your thumb nail. The first evidence of man making a mechanical item, a hinge. His teaching of the young, his solving problems, demonstrating love and grief.
Just place yourself in a rock shelter. several thousand years in the past. We will place into your hands the everyday tools of the time, and demonstrate their use. From the same era, painted hunting shafts, points with their original haftings. A display to aid in identifying over, 250 points. Evidence of man as the first "Man Human", from his start 10,000 BP. For decades it has been the desire of archaeologists to lay claim to the earliest date for man here in the Americas. Known as the Paleo period of early man, such claims have spanned the offerings of 13,000 to 20,000 BP and suggested greater. In all this spot light of fame the powers to learn and to teach have over looked the Archaic period. This is the era of early man that found itself outdated by nature. The big game hunting era, the time of the mammoth and mastodon had come to an end. The need to feed man was a command of change or perish. It is now the story of man turning to the land, and the need to find permanent homes. The days of roaming the Americas had ended. It's now that early man of the Western North America, found safe shelter in caves. The time of the true Cave Man had set in. In South West Texas the caves of the Pecos River, Rio Grande River would offer as many as a thousand new homes to man. The start of the Lower Pecos River Focus would now offer man home in exchange for preserved history. While not the largest of these early shelters the Zueberbueler shelter surpassed all others in it's preservation of early man's story. The advantage of the Zueberbueler site, is it contains material, rare and often unique items, that offer steps in the development of many of man's new crafts. Theory is not needed here, the artifacts tell their story, an advantage over the story of Paleo man. There have been many theories offered by universities as to when various crafts were developed by man, but here at the Zueberbueler, the artifacts offer their own calendar. Unless we are to suggest man, who would find new homes, in the vast area of canyon caves, notches in canyon walls or just weather protecting over hangs, was totally devoid of skills, we are forced to accept the calendar offered. It is here, the history book of Archaic man, was displayed for the author, and hopefully can now be offered to you. What is so important about the Zueberbueler artifacts, is they now offer plentiful information on the development of new crafts. This is history never before recovered. It's the story of how skills were entering the hands of man. Also the story of "why now". David C. Reichelt, curator
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