RGVpointsAR APP
The Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas is characterized today as a largely waterless and inhospitable region of sand and brush. Yet in this same “Nueces Strip,” there is evidence of millennia-long, ongoing habitation by native peoples. Building on research in anthropology, archaeology, history, and the earth sciences, the creation of this project will illuminate how post-Pleistocene environmental change led to changes in habitation patterns and resource utilization.
Projectile points made of stone, shell, bone glass, and metal are the primary surviving evidence for the presence of Native Americans in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas during the past 10,000 – 12,000 years.
With this project, we are building upon original research on the diachronic formation of the local landscapes and how prehistoric and historic peoples adapted and utilized area resources. This app serves as an educational tool for thousands of Rio Grande Valley K-17 students by bringing ancient projectile point artifacts to life through 3D photogrammetry and augmented reality. It also appeals to scholars who study ancient peoples and to tourists who are interested in the ecological and geological history (Geo-Heritage) along the US-Mexico border region.
Once you’ve downloaded the app, point it at the poster and begin to navigate through time!