Center for Big Bend Studies
Center for Big Bend StudiesIn July and September 2002 an intensive survey was carried out for a water improvement project located in and around the small community of Ruidosa in Presidio County. Two new sites were recorded and the boundaries of a previously recorded site were expanded. A single intact hearth at one of the sites was excavated since it lay adjacent to the planned water-well location and would have been destroyed by that construction.
The hearth was constructed in a basin, lined with a pavement of stones, and contained several pieces of debitage - all typical of prehistoric hearths. However, underneath the hearth stones were three pieces of milled lumber, a lockbox lid, and two braces that had been originally attached to the larger piece. 
on the interior and exterior of the lid indicate hinges, a hasp, and other attachments had been present.
Machine-cut (square) nails had been used to attach the brace boards and small wire (round) nail remnants were associated with the hinges, hasp, and other areas. The morphology of the hearth in tandem with the milled lumber suggest that this feature was constructed and used by Historic Indians in the late nineteenth century.
If so, this represents a rare and unusual find. While the exact circumstances that led to the boards being placed under the hearth may never be known, some speculation is possible. The fact that the flat metal hinges and hasp were missing may indicate that the box lid was taken for those items. Flat metal was commonly made into metal arrow points and other tools by Indians in the nineteenth century (see Iron Arrow points, pg. 6) (Ohl and Cloud 2002).