Discovering History Along the River “People were using that
river area 10,000 years ago, and people are still using it
today.” Humans have lived along the San Antonio River for more
than 10,000 years, according to evidence unearthed by University
of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) archaeologists. Spear points,
stone tools, charcoal and other prehistoric artifacts discovered
during excavations in the area of the San Antonio River
Improvements Project paint an illuminating picture of the
continuum of human habitation along the river, said project
archaeologist Kristi Ulrich, who led the dig in which the oldest
artifact—a 10,480-year-old spear point—was found last year in
Brackenridge Park. “It was one of those things where, as you
pull things out, you see time going back farther and farther,”
she said. “That people were using that river area as far back as
10,000 years ago and that people are still using it today as a
recreation area is amazing.” There’s a reason the signs of
Paleo-Indian life are found by the wate