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Ancient Landscapes of South Texas College of Liberal Arts

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  • Ancient Landscapes of South Texas
    • La Villa Meteorite
    • 43 MYA Gulf of Mexico Shoreline
      • Roma Sandstone
      • Roma Bluffs - Historic District
      • Roma Sandstone - Chapeno Rapids
      • Mortar Holes
      • San Ygnacio Trevino Fort
      • Giant Oysters
      • Oligocene Shoreline
      • Coal
    • 27 MYA Catahoula Volcanic Ash
      • Catahoula Volcanic Ash
      • El Sauz Chert
      • Petrified Wood
      • Pozzolana - Falcon Dam
    • Goliad Gravels
    • La Sal del Rey
    • Modern Shorelines
      • Tidal Flats & Algal Mats
    • South Texas Sand Sheet
      • Sand Dunes
      • Deflation Troughs
      • Norias - Hand-Dug Water Wells
      • Wind Turbines
    • Pleistocene Megafauna
      • Late Pleistocene Delta
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    • Quinta Mazatlan
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  • Ancient Landscapes: Exploring South Texas Through Time
    Ancient Landscapes of South Texas Map
  • Lower Rio Grande Valley Projectile Point Types
    Ancient Landscapes of South Texas Poster
  • Award Winning Documentary Film
  • Purchase our lavishly illustrated Geoheritage book at lulu.com

Inspire, Intrigue, Relate.

Did you know that… 42 million years ago the waters of the Gulf of Mexico washed across beaches in Roma in Starr Country? 27 million years ago a volcanic eruption covered what is today Rio Grande City in more than 60 feet of ash? Minerals in this volcanic ash created a petrified palm forest in Starr County, and deposits of uranium in South Texas? A stone known as Sauz chert formed from these minerals and would be used millions of years later by Native Americans to make tools? The UTRGV ceremonial mace contains petrified palm and Sauz chert. The Rio Grande Valley of Texas holds infinite possibilities for discovery, interpretation, and scholarship. Please join us in our journey through the Ancient Landscapes of South Texas!

Discovery Trails Discovery Trails Significant location and sites across a five-county region along the Rio Grande (river) between Brownsville and Laredo with a few sites inland where...
Audio Tours Audio Tours Audio podcast that will explain the site's significant and share interesting details about the action that took place there. Audio tours begin with...
Join/Donate Join/Donate Your contribution will help ensure the creation and sustainability of the Ancient Landscapes of South Texas geoheritage trail in the state of Texas which...

Contact Us

Ancient Landscapes of South Texas Program
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
1201 W. University Dr.
LAMR 1.103
Conference Room LAMR 1.104
Email: chaps@utrgv.edu
Phone: (956) 665-3231

Quick Links

  • CHAPS
  • Discovery Trails
  • Sponsorship Opportunities
  • UTRGV Geology Club
  • RGV Civil War Trail

Who We Are Now

Drawing upon a broad coalition of interested parties, this community-based project seeks to design a virtual “tour” in the form of a map/guide/brochure and associated webpage, podcasts, and QR codes that can provide a conceptual “walk” through the evolution of ancient natural and cultural landscapes in South Texas. The primary intent is to:

  • Enrich our knowledge
  • Identify ancient natural (biological, geological) and historical landscape items in the region
  • Foster cultural awareness
  • Provide historical, archaeological, geological, biological, and anthropological resources for the public
  • Add natural and cultural heritage tourism to the region.

Documentary Film

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